Interim Area Procurator Fiscal for Lothian and Borders Lesley Thomson has today (Monday) been appointed to Scotland's most senior Procurator Fiscal post, the Area Procurator Fiscal for Glasgow.

Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini said that Thomson's first priority will be to strengthen the new Area High Court Unit in Glasgow in order to step up the drive in tackling serious crime.

"Lesley Thomson is a highly experienced and well respected prosecutor. Her career to date in the fiscal service makes her the ideal person for this most senior and important post," Angiolini said.

"Following the introduction of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) in 2003, Lesley was the first Procurator Fiscal to head up the Criminal Confiscation Unit and thereafter the Financial Crime Unit at Crown Office, and was the driving force in using the new POCA powers to tackle serious and organised crime,

"For the past year as Interim Area Procurator Fiscal for Lothian and Borders, she was been at the forefront of developing new ways of tackling crime in the area. The successful introduction of a specialist team, as part of the Area High Court Unit, to prosecute sexual offence cases was a particular success. I am sure that the energy, enthusiasm and commitment that Lesley brings to the work of the Procurator Fiscal Service will ensure that communities across Glasgow continue to be served by a first class prosecution service."