THE SNP is facing questions about the integrity of its fundraising after evidence suggested cash donated for a second referendum was spent on the election - despite strenuous denials.

The party last week abandoned its drive to raise £1m for an independence referendum fight through its ref.scot website in the wake of Nicola Sturgeon losing a third of her MPs.

The online appeal, launched within minutes of Ms Sturgeon announcing a referendum in March, had raised around £482,000 after 90 days of an intended 100-day operation.

It was run by her husband, the SNP chief executive Peter Murrell.

After the appeal ended, the SNP denied any money raised through ref.scot was spent on the general election, and said all £482,000 would be frozen until required for a new vote.

A spokesman said on Tuesday: “The funding that was raised during the period of the ref.scot crowdfunder will only be used for the specific purpose of a referendum campaign.

“In that regard, the money is earmarked. The money spent in the General Election campaign was taken from our general election appeal.”

However on Wednesday, STV published a screengrab from ref.scot taken around April 27, suggesting funds were indeed used for the election.

It showed the donations page message “Your contribution will greatly benefit the campaign” had been amended to read: “Your contribution will greatly benefit the election campaign.”

The SNP refused to offer any explanation for the change.

Scottish Labour MSP James Kelly, who has asked the Electoral Commission to investigate the SNP’s fundraising operation, said the ref.scot saga was “getting murkier and murkier”.

He said: “The SNP needs to come clean on all of this as a matter of urgency.

"It appears that, for a period of time, this website was repurposed as a general election campaign fundraiser.

“If that was the case, people will be rightly angry that the SNP changed the small print.

"Many people will rightly feel misled. We need a statement from [Finance Secretary] Derek Mackay in his role as the Nationalists' campaign manager on this."

Tory MSP Annie Wells added: This revelation calls into question the SNP’s defence of this controversial website.

“The Nationalists were quite clear that any money raised was for an independence campaign.

“Yet now we learn, at various points through the General Election campaign, the cash generated was going into fighting Westminster seats.

“Voters will be furious at this apparent deception, and this leaves the SNP with some very difficult questions to answer indeed.”

An SNP spokesman insisted ref.scot website had only raised money for a referendum fight, but was unable to explain the altered text from April.

The Electoral Commission has said it is up to parties how they spend their funds.

An SNP spokesman said: “The SNP prides ourselves on the open and transparent way we raise money from supporters, it’s nonsense to suggest otherwise.

“Unlike those queuing up to criticise, the SNP has never been fined by the Electoral Commission for financial malpractice.”