The husband of former Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested as part of an investigation into the funding of the governing pro-independence Scottish National Party, the BBC said on Wednesday.

Police Scotland said a 58-year-old man had been “arrested as a suspect” and its officers were carrying out searches at a number of addresses linked to the probe.

Peter Murrell, 58, who stood down as the chief executive of the governing pro-independence party last month, was taken into police custody on Wednesday, the BBC said.

Police Scotland said they were carrying out searches at a number of addresses as part of the investigation. A marked police van could be seen outside the couple’s home in Glasgow, which was sealed off with blue and white police tape, and a blue tent had also been put up outside. “The man is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives,” the force added.

The police investigation is looking at what happened to more than £600,000 raised by Scottish independence campaigners in 2017, which was supposed to have been ring-fenced for spending on that issue but was missing from party’s filed accounts.