POLICE probe LibDem Alex Cole-Hamilton is facing more questions over his election expenses after new files suggested they were calculated in a unique way.

Invoices released last week by the Electoral Commission show the Edinburgh Western MSP’s expenses stood out from those of other LibDem campaigns round Scotland.

Cole-Hamilton, 38, is being investigated by police over alleged “financial irregularities” in his election spending after a member of the public claimed he under-declared his costs.

A so-called “dual candidate” in May, Cole-Hamilton stood as both the top LibDem list candidate in the Lothians and as a constituency candidate in Edinburgh Western.

Electoral Commission guidance says dual candidates must make an “an honest assessment” of whether their spending promotes their constituency or regional campaign and parties “should not split costs if an item is produced mainly to promote a candidate”.

Cole-Hamilton, who spent £32,549 on his constituency fight compared to £18,593 by his SNP rival, only stayed under the legal spending limit by attributing thousands of pounds of leaflet, delivery and office costs to the regional campaign.

But in many cases, the same leaflets were split between constituency and list spending, even though they name-checked specific areas in Edinburgh Western.

The new invoices suggest the LibDems only did this in the Lothians and Mid-Scotland and Fife regions, and that the splits were far more numerous and varied in the Lothians.

In Mid-Scotland and Fife, where LibDem leader Willie Rennie was a dual candidate in the North East Fife seat, the party split a £1543 bill for 31,000 leaflets 50-50 between the list and the constituency, even though the leaflet was named “North East Fife” on the invoice.

In an online Q&A with constituents last week, Cole-Hamilton said he "categorically" did not break any electoral rules or law relating to finance.

A spokesman for Edinburgh Western SNP said: “This treatment of Edinburgh Western seems very odd. It adds to the array of questions Mr Cole-Hamilton needs to answer about his expenses. If he had any respect for his constituents he would resign the whip while the police investigate his campaign.”

A Scottish LibDem spokesman said: “During the last election two seats on the east coast were high targets for the Liberal Democrats. This was a strategy that proved to be effective with two gains over the SNP. All spending was meticulously accounted for and correctly apportioned for the whole campaign.”