A Lockerbie prosecutor has been named as Scotland's new Crown Agent, the third biggest job in the Crown Office.

David Harvie replaces Catherine Dyer as the head of the prosecution service after 20 years on the job, including a spell in his current post as procurator fiscal for the West of Scotland.

Mr Harvie, a solicitor advocate, was on the team which successfully prosecuted Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, has led on organised crime, and has also been seconded to the UK Foreign Office.

As Crown Agent he will be the main legal adviser to the Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland, who said: "David will be an excellent Crown Agent and he takes over at an exciting time for the prosecution service and its talented staff."

The Lord Advocate stressed that Mr Harvie inherited a reforming legacy from Ms Dyer, who, among other things, helped create specialist prosecution teams for crimes like rape and domestic abuse.