‘No comment’ from Scottish QC on reports he has been hired by former NoW editor Andy Coulson

Coulson was released on Friday night after being questioned by police for nine hours in connection with corruption and phone hacking allegations involving the 186-year-old tabloid which was published for the last time today (Sunday) with a final print run of five million copies.

Appearing on the BBC Scotland Politics Show today, McBride was asked about a Sunday Mail story that he had been “secretly hired” by Coulson to represent him in Scotland.

McBride responded: "I can't comment on that and it should be noted that there are no criminal allegations made in Scotland against Mr Coulson.

"The Crown Office have indicated that there will be a preliminary assessment of the evidence of a number of witnesses - the report will be complied and looked at by the fiscal, but there are no allegations made in respect of perjury, or any other crime in Scotland, in respect of Mr Coulson."

McBride, who represented Gail Sheridan at the perjury trial, told the programme that he suspected investigations in Scotland would come to nothing and that they would not change the Sheridan verdict.

He is quoted as saying: "Tommy Sheridan was convicted of perjury by telling a civil jury that he hadn't been to a swingers club and that he hadn't told members of his own party about it.

"The evidence at the trial was from members of his own party that he had been to a swingers club and the jury accepted that evidence and he was convicted of perjury.

"The News of the World had no input whatsoever in relation to that perjury conviction, so the evidence of any journalist of the News of the World, even if it was perjured evidence, would not affect the conviction of Tommy Sheridan at all."

Evidence given at the trial is to be reviewed after reports that e-mails appear to show Coulson authorised payments to the police.

Coulson told the Sheridan perjury trial trial that he had no knowledge of payments to police.

Coulson was the sixth person to be arrested by the Weeting team over his involvement in the payment of police officers for information. His three former colleagues, Ian Edmondson, Neville Thurlbeck and James Weatherup, were arrested earlier this year.

A freelance for the News of the World and a reporter from the Press Association were also arrested and bailed.

Coulson's arrest came less than 24 hours after the decision by NI chiefs to shut the News of the World because it had betrayed its readers' trust.