A HUMAN trafficking probe centred around Scotland’s richest woman and three family members has been dropped.

In January 2023, Dame Ann Gloag, co-founder of Stagecoach, was charged alongside three family members by Police Scotland over alleged human trafficking and immigration offences.

Dame Ann has strongly denied the charges since the beginning and, today, COPFS said it would take no further proceedings against her or the three others – understood to be husband David McCleary, 72, her 47-year-old stepdaughter Sarah Gloag and her son-in-law Paul McNeil, 52

The service said they would only continue with proceedings in future if further evidence became available.

A spokesperson for COPFS said: “The procurator fiscal received a report relating to two females then aged 81 and 48 and two males then aged 73 and 54, and incidents alleged to have occurred between 2007 and 2022.

“After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, independent Crown Counsel instructed that there should be no proceedings taken at this time.

“The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available, and it is in the public interest to do so.”

A spokesperson for Dame Ann said: “Dame Ann Gloag welcomes the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s decision not to pursue the charges against her and her family members.

“The threat that these malicious allegations have posed to Dame Ann’s legacy has been devastating and acute.

“The resulting waste of public funds and police time is deeply concerning and raises serious questions.”

“Dame Ann looks forward to moving forward with her life and will take time to reflect on the future focus of her charitable giving.”

Dame Ann co-founded the Stagecoach bus company in 1980, with her brother Sir Brian Souter, and was made a dame for her business and charity work.

The company is the UK’s biggest bus and coach operator, and is now managed by DWS Infrastructure.

Dame Ann also founded the Gloag Foundation, a charitable trust which works to support projects that “prevent or relieve poverty and encourage the advancement of education, health and religion in the UK and overseas”, according to its website.