Women are to be told if partners have been accused of domestic abuse before - even if they have not been convicted.

Prosecutors say non-conviction information, such as previous allegations, is available to be shared under the so-called Clare's Law pilot being rolled out in the north-east and south-west of Scotland.

The schemes - which despite the name do not amount to a "law" - are being introduced by police and other partners to help warn women about a dangerous "critical few" men who abuse multiple partners.

Clare's Law is named after 36-year-old Clare Wood, who had made several complaints to police about George Appleton before her death in Salford in 2009. Appleton, who had a history of violence against women, was still able to get into her home and kill her.

The pilots will get under way this month in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire. Anne Marie Hicks, Scotland's domestic abuse prosecutor, said final details of what information would be passed on and how were still being finalised.

But speaking at a conference in Edinburgh, she said: "The overriding factor, the overriding consideration is about risk and about safety.

"No-one wants to disclose more information than they need to. The scheme will be designed to allow people to protect themselves. It will go beyond, in some cases, I would imagine, previous convictions. But it might be other allegations of very concerning or alarming behaviour that are warning signs."

Police and other authorities hold intelligence about men who are persistently the subject of call-outs to homes amid concerns they are coercive to their partners but who have never been convicted.

Law enforcement sources have stressed such information would not be treated lightly and that any disclosures would be made carefully - and with support for women or other people who receive the information.

Louise Johnson, of Scottish Women's Aid, stressed services that support the victims of abuse were aware of potential pitfalls when worried women or family members made requests for information under Clare's Law.

She said: "We are going to have a very innovative approach, which may help some of the most high-risk women. We have to see how it works in terms of the valuation. What is most important to ask? What is the impact? Did it help? Did it make the situation worse? What happens when someone asks the question about the partner and they are told they have no criminal record but they are still worried? After all, most abusers have no criminal history. What happens if they have a pattern of offending? Is there support? We can't do this to women, we have to do this with women."

Police have shared non- conviction intelligence about people with other agencies, especially in relation to organised crime figures. However, human rights watchers stress it is highly unusual for non-conviction information to be given to members of the public.

John Scott, QC, said: "Great care is required with this kind of information. I wouldn't say it is always wrong to disclose information about allegations that did not lead to convictions, but such information must be treated in a different way. Somebody who was subject to an allegation may have been innocent. Convictions are hard facts and can't be argued with."

Ms Hicks said guidance was being worked on but officials have already said those seeking information will be checked out - to rule out the merely curious - and a final decision will be made by a multi-agency panel including police, prosecutors and advocacy groups, such as Assist and ­Scottish Women's Aid.

The pilots will run for six months and then be assessed.