Stagecoach co-founder Dame Ann Gloag charged with human trafficking offences

Ann Gloag co-founded transport firm Stagecoach

Scottish transport tycoon Dame Ann Gloag has been charged with human trafficking offences.

Her husband David McCleary and two other members of their family have also been charged.

All four strongly deny the charges against them.

BBC Scotland has been told that the 80-year-old co-founder of Stagecoach was charged after voluntarily attending Falkirk police station with Mr McCleary for an interview on Thursday.

A statement issued on behalf of Dame Ann said that she could not comment on the details of an ongoing investigation.

But it added: "Dame Ann Gloag strongly disputes the malicious allegations that have been made against her, her foundation and members of her family."

It went on to say she would "vigorously defend herself and the work of her foundation to protect her legacy and continue her work helping thousands of people in the UK and abroad every year."

Police Scotland confirmed that four people were charged in connection with an investigation into alleged human trafficking and immigration offences.

A spokesperson said a report would be sent to Scottish prosecutors.

Charity work

It is understood Sarah Gloag, who is Dame Ann's stepdaughter and daughter-in-law, attended voluntarily at Livingston police station in West Lothian with Dame Ann's son-in-law Paul McNeil.

The allegations are believed to relate to people who were brought to Scotland as part of Dame Ann's charity work with the Gloag Foundation.

A source close to Dame Ann told the BBC that the family were "victims of collusion" and had endured "a Kafkaesque nightmare for the last two years."

The source added: "Everybody is bewildered by these accusations and the level of this investigation.

"It is deeply ironic that Dame Ann actually funds an Eastern European charity called the Open Door Foundation whose job it is to stop the trafficking of poor women into sex crimes.

"She is very attuned to the real dangers that are going on in this world.

"This is bizarre. We are dealing with technicalities.

"There are countless people who are stepping forward to support Dame Ann from around the world."

Dame Ann has donated to many charites over the years including the Africa Mercy hospital ship project

Sarah Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, took to Twitter to voice her support for Dame Ann.

Mrs Brown said: "Gordon and I have known Ann Gloag for many years through her huge personal commitment to Freedom from Fistula and supporting girls' health & education.

"She is a remarkable campaigner and quietly generous charity supporter. These charges just don't add up."

Another charity voiced its support for Dame Ann, with Monica Boseff, executive director of the Open Door Foundation, saying she has "compassion and high moral values".

The foundation says it works to provide "emergency shelter for victims of any form of human trafficking" and described Dame Ann a "long time supporter and friend" who provided donations.

Bus operator

Dame Ann retired from Stagecoach in 2019, almost 40 years after she founded the firm with her brother. At the time she was Scotland's richest woman.

The Perth-based firm grew out of Margaret Thatcher's deregulation of the bus industry in the 1980s.

It became one of the UK's biggest bus and coach operators, employing more than 24,000 people.

Dame Ann is now a philanthropist with charity interests around the world.

She set up the Gloag Foundation to support projects that "prevent or relieve poverty and encourage the advancement of education, health and religion in the UK and overseas".

The foundation supports charities including Freedom from Fistula, a charity founded by Dame Ann, which supports women and children in Sierra Leone, Malawi and Madagascar.