Dozens of attempted murders left unsolved

They are among 860 unsolved attempted murders across Scotland dating back over the past decade.

Among those not caught are the attackers who stabbed Edinburgh law chief Leslie Cumming ten times outside his Murrayfield home on January 23, 2006.

Police believed the assault was a paid "hit" linked to his work for the Law Society, overseeing investigations into allegations of theft by lawyers from clients. Detectives checked the list of crooked lawyers but were unable to establish any link to the attack.

Police forces never close serious crime investigations and conduct regular "cold case" reviews to take account of scientific developments.

Former Scotland Yard detective inspector Hamish Brown said: "In the vast majority of cases the victim knows the assailant so identifying them isn't an issue.

"But where there has been a contract hit or a random attack it becomes more difficult to solve because the victim is often frightened to speak."