NICOLA STURGEON’S spokesman has accused supporters of her predecessor Alex Salmond of attempting “to smear the First Minister.”

Last week Ms Sturgeon said she had heard Mr Salmond was facing complaints of sexual misconduct, which he denies, when he met her at her Glasgow home last April.

The First Minister referred herself to an independent standards body yesterday, after she was accused of breaching the ministerial code.

Labour said she had broken a rule requiring meetings at which government business is discussed to be reported back to ministers’ private offices, so records can be taken.

Ms Sturgeon did not report back on the unminuted April meeting. But she has insisted she was not breaking the code, with her spokesman describing the conversation as a “party meeting” and not a government engagement.

But news reports today quoted a “Salmond camp insider” claiming that Ms Sturgeon knew about the allegations of sexual misconduct against Mr Salmond prior to this meeting.

The Scottish Sun quoted the source saying: “She already knew about the inquiry. She knew.”

Meanwhile the Times reported a separate allegation from “sources close to Mr Salmond.”

They accused top Sturgeon adviser Liz Lloyd, who the FM said had sat in on the April meeting, of phoning an intermediary on March 6 to advise Mr Salmond not to seek selection for a parliamentary seat.

Ms Lloyd said she did not make such a phone call.

A spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said: “This appears to be an attempt to smear the First Minister. Suggestions by Mr Salmond’s ‘insiders’ that the First Minister knew about the investigation before April 2 are not true.

“The suggestion put to Ms Sturgeon’s chief of staff by the Times, that she knew of complaints when she met someone who could be described as an intermediary for Alex Salmond on March 6, is also not true.

“Given that issues around the First Minister’s meetings with Mr Salmond have been referred to the independent advisers to consider, we will not comment further.

“At the heart of this matter remains the fact that complaints were made that could not be swept under the carpet — and the First Minister and Scottish government will not say or do anything which might risk prejudicing the police investigation.”

Two women lodged sexual misconduct complaints against Mr Salmond with the Scottish government last year.

Last week the Scottish government axed its probe after Mr Salmond successfully took legal action over the complaints procedure. But a police investigation is still ongoing.

Ms Sturgeon has said she discussed the allegations with her SNP predecessor at two subsequent meetings and in two phone calls.

She informed the permanent secretary to the Scottish government Leslie Evans, but insists that she stressed that she would not interfere in the inquiry.