Nessie belief revealed by old police files

POLICE files from the 1930s have revealed a leading officer of the era believed the existence of the Loch Ness Monster to be "beyond doubt".

A file on the phenomenon has been released by the National Archives of Scotland as part of its "An Open Secret" exhibition.

William Fraser, chief constable of Inverness-shire, raised concerns about protecting the "strange creature" from hunters in a letter to the Under Secretary of State at the Scottish Office.

He said: "That there is some strange creature in Loch Ness now seems beyond doubt. But that the police have any power to protect it is very doubtful."

According to the archive, agreements were eventually made to leave the monster alone.