The number of crimes recorded by police has increased one per cent since 2017/18; from 244,504 offences to 246,480 in 2018/19. Despite this annual rise, the recording of crime throughout Scotland remains at one of the lowest levels seen since 1974. According to the latest bulletin released on Tuesday, the majority of crimes have continued to fall in Scotland over the last 10 years, with the total recorded crime dropping 27 per cent since 2009/10.

According to the latest statistics from KPMG’s Fraud Barometer, high-value fraud cases worth more than £100,000 are continuing to decline in Scotland. £1.2 million worth of fraud cases appeared in the courts in the first two quarters of this year, down from £1.8 million in 2018.

This week, a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff court heard prosecutors plan to use the proceeds of crime legislation to recover £1,590,512.69 from a retired architect who embezzled hundreds of thousands of pounds from a charity.

Natalie McGarry admitted two charges of embezzlement from her party and a pro-independence organisation when she appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday 24 April 2019.

The BDO’s most recent FraudTrack report found that Scotland ranked as the fourth most defrauded region in the UK by value, as fraud rocketed by 88 per cent from £16.2 million in 2017 to £30.4 million last year.