Human trafficking charges against Stagecoach tycoon are dropped

Human trafficking charges against Scottish autobus tycoon Dame Ann Gloag person been dropped, the Crown Office has said.

The 81-year-old Stagecoach co-founder was charged alongside 3 different people by Police Scotland past year.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal (COPFS) said it would instrumentality nary further proceedings against immoderate of the accused, unless further grounds becomes available.

Dame Ann ever denied the charges and said the "malicious allegations" person been a devastating menace to her legacy.

The allegations were understood to beryllium related to radical brought to Scotland arsenic portion of Dame Ann's foundation enactment with the Gloag Foundation.

A spokesperson for COPFS said: "The procurator fiscal received a study relating to 2 females past aged 81 and 48 and 2 males past aged 73 and 54, and incidents alleged to person occurred betwixt 2007 and 2022.

"After cautious information of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the disposable admissible evidence, autarkic Crown Counsel instructed that determination should beryllium nary proceedings taken astatine this time.

"The Crown reserves the close to proceed successful the aboriginal should further grounds go available, and it is successful the nationalist involvement to bash so."

Dame Ann's hubby David McCleary and 2 different members of their household were besides charged.

A spokesperson for Dame Ann said she welcomed the decision.

They said: "The menace that these malicious allegations person posed to Dame Ann's bequest has been devastating and acute.

"The resulting discarded of nationalist funds and constabulary clip is profoundly concerning and raises superior questions.

"Dame Ann looks guardant to moving guardant with her beingness and volition instrumentality clip to bespeak connected the aboriginal absorption of her charitable giving."

A root adjacent to Dame Ann antecedently told the BBC that the household were "victims of collusion" and had endured "a Kafkaesque nightmare for the past 2 years."

Dame Ann co-founded the Stagecoach autobus institution successful 1980, with her member Sir Brian Souter, and was made a dame for her concern and foundation work.

The Perth-based steadfast grew to go the UK's biggest autobus and manager operator, and is present managed by DWS Infrastructure.

When Dame Ann retired from the institution successful 2019, she was Scotland's richest woman.

Dame Ann besides founded the Gloag Foundation, a charitable spot which works to enactment projects that "prevent oregon relieve poorness and promote the advancement of education, wellness and religion successful the UK and overseas", according to its website.