Shamed Stephen Purcell escapes charges

The Crown had been looking into allegations that Mr Purcell, who left his post almost two years ago in a storm of controversy surrounding his drink and drug use, had used undue influence to secure a £50,000 contract for his friend and fellow councillor Ruth Black.

Prosecutors said yesterday there was “insufficient evidence” of criminality and “no further action is currently appropriate”, after they examined the findings of a police investigation.

The original police investigation saw Strathclyde’s elite group of detectives, the Major Crimes and Terrorism Unit, involved in questioning Purcell’s allies .

The focus of that inquiry related to the award of the running of the city’s publicly funded lesbian and gay drop-in centre.

SNP councillors were said to have received a tip-off regarding apparently incriminating information relating to it.

Ruth Black, 45, previously headed the centre, but it collapsed owing £300,000 in April 2009, two years after she resigned.

Two rival bids were made to choose a successor, one by Glasgay, an established organisation, and a second by Ms Black, to set up a new organisation called Castro.

When it was announced that Castro had won, SNP councillors complained about the decision, which was later reviewed by a second committee with a Labour majority.

Ms Black had said she received no remuneration from Castro and had only agreed to run it until it was established.

Prosecutors were asked to look at the case after Strathclyde Police completed its investigations in September.

A Crown Office spokesman said yesterday that having considered the findings, it had decided not to go ahead with proceedings.

He said: “Strathclyde Police have fully investigated allegations made against Steven Purcell and Ruth Black.

“The results of these investigations have been made available to Crown counsel.

“Crown counsel agree with the conclusion reached by Strathclyde Police, that there is insufficient evidence of criminality at this time and that no further action is currently appropriate.”

There had been rumours as far back as June 2010 that Mr Purcell would escape charges, but Strathclyde Police had always insisted the case was “still active”.

Mr Purcell shocked colleagues when he unexpectedly stepped down from his post in March 2010.

He also resigned as councillor for the city’s Blairdardie ward, citing “stress and exhaustion”. He subsequently admitted he had taken cocaine and feared he would be blackmailed.

However, The Scotsman revealed, just days after he departed, that Glasgow City Council chiefs had been preparing to declare publicly that Purcell was suffering from a “chemical dependency”, but were overruled prior to his resignation.

It subsequently emerged he was being treated at Castle Craig, a private clinic specialising in drug and alcohol dependency.

Mr Purcell’s acrimonious departure from the council brought his dealings as leader under intense scrutiny.

John Mason, who was SNP MP for Glasgow East at the time, wrote to Strathclyde Police asking for officers to investigate Mr Purcell’s alleged drug use and who supplied him, whether he had indeed become vulnerable to blackmail and, specifically, whether individuals or organisations gained improper advantage from the council construction quango City Building.

Mr Purcell became council leader in 2005 when he was 32.

He was first elected to the council in May 1995 and served as convener of development and regeneration, then education, before becoming leader.

He was named as Councillor of the Year for his role in winning the Commonwealth Games for Glasgow and a guaranteed “living wage” to thousands of workers. He had perviously been tipped as a future First Minister.

Reacting to the decision not to go ahead with proceedings, a city council spokesman said last night: “This is a matter for the Crown Office.”

The SNP declined to comment.