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A Tory millionaire has been reported to police over allegations he broke election campaign spending rules.

Complaints about Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, were passed to officers on the advice of the Electoral Commission.

The standards watchdog suggested the legal route after the SNP first raised concerns about his activities in the run up to the Holyrood election in May.

The SNP allege Burnett failed to properly declare spending linked to office accommodation he owns in Banchory.

They also claim the Banchory Business Centre was used for phone canvassing and printing election materials.

The Scottish Conservative Party insist he stuck to the rules.

But an SNP spokesman said: “The fact that these allegations have now been reported to Police Scotland, in line with the advice of the Electoral Commission, underlines the seriousness of this matter for Alexander Burnett and Ruth Davidson.

“As such, it is only right that the police are now given the opportunity to fully investigate any potential breach of election rules.”

Burnett, who is worth around £45 million, is also caught up in a conflict of interest row in the constituency, which he won from the SNP.

The property firm owner used parliamentary resources to question the government over a rival developer’s plans in Banchory.

The row sparked a separate clash over “anti-EU” comments directed at the former SNP MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Christian Allard, who is French.

In a recent statement, the Tory press office questioned Allard’s right to speak up about the property allegations in his area.

Allard, who lost to Burnett in May, was described as an EU citizen rather than a local resident with concerns.

On Tuesday, the Consular councillor for French nationals in Scotland, Professor David Lussea, called on Tory leader Ruth Davidson to step in.

In a latter to Davidson, he wrote: “You must understand that the slightest slip of the tongue, the slightest allusion, can open the floodgate of xenophobia.

“The minority of people interested in segregating our communities will take it as a sign that xenophobia is acceptable.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “The SNP tried the Electoral Commission first, was told it’d gone to the wrong place, and is now trying the police.

“It’s clear the Nationalists are engaged in a nothing more than a politically motivated fishing expedition.”

A police spokeswoman confirmed: “Police Scotland has received a complaint in relation to election expenses and it is under consideration."