REBUS author Ian Rankin donated £425,000 of earnings from his books to charity last year.

The writer handed over the cash as royalties rolled in from the success of his novels about the hard-bitten Edinburgh detective.

It was given to a charitable trust which he and wife Miranda Harvey set up 10 years ago to fund good causes at home and abroad.

The trust has helped health, art and educational charities.

His generosity was revealed in the annual accounts for his personal company, John Rebus Ltd, which handles income from his writing career.