A former director of a children's hospital charity who was accused of fraud will not face trial after the case against her was deserted.

Elaine McGonigle was at the helm of the New Pyjamas charity, which was supposed to raise £15m towards a new Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

She was suspended by the Sick Kids Friends Foundation in 2010 after concerns were raised about the amount of money being raised.

McGonigle, 52, from Errol in Perthshire, was later charged with fraud relating to her expenses.

It was alleged she fraudulently claimed money for food, travel and accommodation for business meetings when she had used the money for personal trips and holidays.

She denied 13 fraud charges and a trial against her started at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in 2014 but it was postponed several times.

Witnesses, whom she claimed expenses for meeting, included former First Minister Jack McConnell, now Lord McConnell; businessman Nick Kuenssberg; Donald McDonald, head of the McDonald Hotel Group, and businesswoman Ann Gloag.

All of them denied having met McGonigle when she claimed they had.

In early 2015, McGonigle suffered a stroke and was sent to hospital.

A hearing on Friday was due to hear evidence from a specialist who could give a view on whether or not a patient could "manipulate" medical test results to avoid the trial resuming.

The prosecution requested the court desert the trial after being unable to find a specialist.

Sheriff Douglas Allan said given the circumstances and the medical reports he would agree to the request.

Before McGonigle's trial began in June 2014, there were 14 hearings.

Since the start of the case there have been a further 27 hearings - 15 for evidence, seven for legal debates and five due to evidence not being heard due to illness or witnesses not being unable to attend.