Published: Thursday, 15th July, 2010 9:28am

Police probe launched after Loretto complaint

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LOTHIAN and Borders Police is said to be under investigation by the Crown Office following a complaint from a member of the public over its handling of abuse claims at Musselburgh's exclusive Loretto School.

It is thought the complainer is unhappy over how the police force dealt with allegations of an assault on a pupil at the £8,700-a-term private school.

The force's Chief Constable, David Strang, is president of Loretto's former-pupils society, and Alistair Darling, the former-Chancellor, also attended the school.

A Crown Office spokesman said: "After a complaint from a member of public, the area procurator fiscal is reviewing papers relating to an investigation by Lothian and Borders Police."

A spokesman for Loretto School said: "We would fully co-operate if any further investigation was needed."

A Lothian and Borders Police spokeswoman said: "We are awaiting the outcome of the Crown Office review."

Meanwhile, an admissions director at Loretto School has won £8,000 after suing the school over alleged sex discrimination. Fiona Gordon took to the school to an employment tribunal claiming she had been treated unfairly following the announcement of her pregnancy.

It has been reported that headmaster Peter Hogan had threatened her with redundancy when she told him she would be going on maternity leave. When the 41-year-old returned to work she, is reported as saying, her position had been made redundant as the department was in the midst of being restructured.