Police Scotland has dropped its investigation into an historic firm of solicitors that suddenly went bust and left thousands of customers in the lurch.
Cops told campaigners they had assessed a dossier of complaints handed to them in February last year regarding the McClure business and established “no criminality” had taken place.
But activists have vowed to fight on despite the “great disappointment” of the police case being ditched.
McClure solicitors collapsed in 2021 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic with multiple families across mainland Britain affected.
All of its casework – including wills and property trusts – was subsequently passed to Glasgow-based firm Jones Whyte.
McClure was based in Scotland but had six offices in England and Wales and was licensed to practise on both sides of the border.
Campaign group Victims of McClure Solicitors have accused the authorities of failing to take seriously a torrent of complaints about the firm’s handling of up to 18,000 family protection trusts.
Mike Pilbeam, a co-founder of the group, said: “Police Scotland undertook to seriously consider the information presented to them and report back within two months which they failed to do.
“In October of last year, following an invitation for them to attend a members meeting in Glasgow to provide an update, Police Scotland declined to attend and have never come back to the group.
“Instead, they emailed each individual who had submitted the supporting account telling them that they could find no indication of criminality in the account submitted therefore refusing to consider the accumulated evidence.
“Their response, the way that ex-clients have been dealt with both individually and as a group is a great disappointment which has resulted in a detailed complaint being submitted to the professional standards department.
“We have now turned to the Westminster parliament and had meetings with a number of MPs including Gareth Thomas MP for Harrow who has undertaken to contact Police Scotland requesting explanations for their decisions and what would be necessary for them to review them.
“We await their response and are still hopeful that eventually, a criminal investigation will take place.”
One campaigner, Michelle Newton, has succeeded in lodging an online petition with the UK Government. It states: “We think some people are being mis-sold Family Asset Protection Trusts.
“We think the Government needs to protect citizens, introduce harsher punishments for miss-selling, and support victims.”
Calls for a public inquiry are supported by SNP MSP Stuart McMillan, whose Greenock constituency included the McClure head office.
He previously used a statement in the Scottish Parliament last year to warn: “It’s clear something went very wrong at McClure solicitors.”
Former McClure director Andrew Robertson previously told the BBC the trust “was and remains a good service” and the fact McClure no longer existed did not affect it.
It was “not correct that many trusts had issues” and clients “should not fear that money has been wasted”, he said.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We can confirm information and documentation was received. It has been assessed and no criminality has been established. The complainers have been updated.”
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