Campaign to fund Alistair Carmichael's legal costs over challenge

An online campaign to cover Alistair Carmichael's legal costs over a challenge to the MP's election has been launched.

Four of the Orkney and Shetland MP's constituents raised the action, which was heard in court this week, under the Representation of the People Act.

They claim Lib Dem Mr Carmichael authorised a leaked memo in order to influence the outcome of May's vote.

Aberdeen woman Sheila Ritchie is trying to raise £50,000 to help Mr Carmichael.

More than £2,000 has been donated so far.

The constituents who brought the petition were also aided by crowd funding.

'Not correct'

Two days of evidence was heard at a special election court in Edinburgh earlier this week, before being adjourned to a later date.

The case is believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland for 50 years.

It arose from a story in the Daily Telegraph at the start of the general election campaign in April.

Mr Carmichael - Scottish Secretary in the Tory-Lib Dem coalition before the election - had authorised the leaking of a civil service memo suggesting First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had told the French ambassador she wanted David Cameron to remain in Downing Street.

He claimed in a TV interview the first he had heard of it was when he received a phone call from a journalist.

However, the MP later admitted full responsibility for sanctioning its release, and accepted the "details of the account are not correct".