East Renfrewshire

He also used some of the money he was given to pay for an "extension and landscaping" at a property in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, which he claimed had been paid for from an inheritance from his father.

St Joseph's Primary School in Busby, East Renfrewshire, was sprayed with offensive and discriminatory graffiti and there were two fires in children's play areas.

East Renfrewshire Council aimed to sell the HS 0 plate – once used by the official car of its provost – for a six-figure sum to raise vital cash.

A spokesperson for East Renfrewshire Council insisted: "Our historic number plate is still for sale and we remain confident it will fetch a six-figure sum."

East Renfrewshire Council inherited HS 0 plate from what was the Eastwood District Council.