FORMER SNP MP Michelle Thomson has been told she will have to apply online to be readmitted to the party despite being cleared by prosecutors over allegations of mortgage fraud.

Thomson must go through the SNP's website for new recruits if she wants to regain her membership, the Sunday Herald has learned. The instruction came despite Thomson's 36 years in the SNP.

The former MP was never expelled from the SNP but the party maintains that she left when she resigned the whip in the House of Commons. She was also blocked from standing as a candidate in June's general election.

After Thomson was cleared in August the SNP said that it would be happy to “engage with her about her membership of the SNP".

However, Thomson says she has heard nothing from Nicola Sturgeon about rejoining the party.

Thomson previously claimed that the First Minister was behind the decision to force her to resign the SNP whip.

The Sunday Herald understands that while a senior party employee spoke to her they did not specifically invite her back. She was told she should seek to reapply online if she wanted to be readmitted.

Thomson, when asked about her attempts to rejoin the SNP, would only say: “I’ve not yet heard from Nicola Sturgeon.”

She refused to add to those remarks, but confirmed she still wanted to be a member again.

Thomson also declined to comment when asked about reports that she had been told to reapply online.

An SNP spokesperson said: “Michelle Thomson has been told that she is free to rejoin.”

Meanwhile, police confirmed that officers were continuing with an investigation after Thomson used a Commons debate last December to disclose she was raped as a 14-year-old.

Police Scotland said the investigation was at the same stage as in the summer when officers had interviewed a 54-year old man in connection with the investigation.