FORMER SNP MP Michelle Thomson has called on party leader Nicola Sturgeon to apologise for the way she was treated during a police investigation into alleged mortgage fraud.

Ms Thomson, who always denied any wrongdoing, spoke of her relief at being “completely exonerated” last week by the Crown Office and her disappointment with the SNP leadership’s handling of the affair.

The former Edinburgh West MP, who did not stand at the last election, told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland that resigning the party whip when the probe was launched had not been her choice.

Ms Thomson said she had received “no support” at what was a “frightening, disturbing and alarming” time and had been told by SNP business convener Derek Mackay she would need to resign the whip.

“I did protest but I was kind of led to believe that if I didn’t do that gracefully things would be even worse and, to be honest, they were in a pretty bad state at that point,” she said.

“It was not my choice and it was not my decision.”

The former politician said the party’s group at Westminster had been “so supportive” and she had found it “difficult to understand” when the SNP’s National Executive Committee overruled their calls for her to be readmitted.

She said: “I suppose what I found disturbing was that I had no opportunity whatsoever to speak directly with Nicola Sturgeon and put across some of the key points.

“In other words, I had no chance to put across my side of the story and I find that, to be honest, disappointing.”

She said an apology would be befitting and when asked from whom, added: “I would say the leader of the party. Yes, I would greatly welcome that.”