Last few days 'difficult and traumatic', says Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon has said she wants to get connected with her beingness and her occupation aft a week that saw her hubby arrested and her location searched by police.

Scotland's erstwhile archetypal curate was speaking for the archetypal clip since Peter Murrell was questioned implicit the SNP party's finances.

The erstwhile SNP main enforcement was arrested and released without complaint pending further investigation.

Ms Sturgeon told reporters caller days had been "obviously difficult".

Outside her Glasgow home, which was the taxable of a two-day hunt by Police Scotland, the erstwhile enactment person said: "Well archetypal off, determination is evidently thing I tin accidental astir the ongoing investigation.

"As overmuch arsenic determination are things I whitethorn privation to say, I'm not capable to bash so, different than to accidental that, arsenic has been the case, determination volition proceed to beryllium afloat cooperation.

"The past fewer days person been evidently difficult, rather traumatic astatine times, but I recognize that is portion of a process."

Asked if she had been questioned by officers, Ms Sturgeon replied: "I haven't, but I volition afloat cooperate with the constabulary arsenic and erstwhile they petition that, if so they do."

She declined to accidental whether detectives person indicated that they privation to talk to her.

Police searched their location successful Glasgow, with uniformed officers besides searching the SNP's office successful Edinburgh.

She asked for a "little spot of privateness successful my ain home" pursuing the week's events.

She added: "My neighbours, I think, are besides entitled to a wee spot of privateness arsenic well.

"Over the years, arsenic a effect of surviving adjacent doorway to me, they've been subjected to much than their just stock of disruption and inconvenience.

"And that has evidently been peculiarly the lawsuit implicit the past mates of years."

Mr Murrell, who has been joined to Ms Sturgeon since 2010, resigned arsenic main enforcement of the SNP aft taking work for misleading statements astir a autumn successful enactment membership.

Last twelvemonth it emerged that helium gave a indebtedness of much than £100,000 to the SNP to assistance it retired with a "cash flow" contented aft the past election.

The enactment had repaid astir fractional of the wealth by October of that year.

At the clip an SNP spokesperson said the indebtedness was a "personal publication made by the main enforcement to assistance with currency travel aft the Holyrood election".

He said it had been reported successful the party's 2021 accounts.

Ms Sturgeon told assembled media: "Peter's astatine location arsenic you would expect it to be. Peter's not capable to accidental anything.

"Again, that's not needfully a substance of choice. That's conscionable the quality of this."

Ms Sturgeon's comments travel a tumultuous week for the SNP.

Accountants Johnston Carmichael had worked with the enactment for much than a decennary but said the determination was taken aft a reappraisal of its clients.

The BBC understands Johnston Carmichael resigned earlier Mr Murrell's arrest.

Mr Russell besides said helium does not deliberation independency tin beryllium achieved "right now".