Strathclyde Police are investigating former Downing Street spin chief and News of the World editor Andy Coulson over whether he committed perjury.
Speaking at the trial of Tommy Sheridan in December 2010, Coulson, who was arrested last week as part of the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World, told a court in Scotland he was unaware of such practices at the newspaper.
Scottish journalists Bob Bird and Douglas Wight were also witnesses at the trial whose evidence may be investigated.
After a review of the evidence, Strathcyle police said they were reviewing the evidence of witnesses: "Following our discussions with the Crown, we have now been instructed to carry out a full investigation into allegations that witnesses gave perjured evidence in the trial of Tommy Sheridan and into alleged breaches of data protection and phone hacking.
"We will also be looking to see if we can uncover any evidence of corruption in the Police Service or any other organisation related to these enquiries. However, I must stress that no specific allegations regarding corruption have been presented to us at this time.
"We will be working with the Metropolitan Police and with the other Scottish Forces as we progress with the investigation. I have put in place a structure that will allow us to work effectively together, but also to ensure that any member of the public who has a concern regarding the safety and security of their private data and information is able to register that concern and to have it properly investigated.
"By its very nature, this investigation will require us to allocate varying levels of resources to it. There is a huge amount of material to consider and, potentially, a large number of people to contact. This will mean that the investigation is likely to be a lengthy one. However, you have my absolute assurance that it will be a thorough one. We will do everything we can to find out the facts and to report all examples of wrong doing."