By Steve Bargeton, political editor

THE SCOTTISH Socialist Party were yesterday ordered to pay “tens of thousands of pounds” in legal costs after a senior official was fined for contempt of court.

At the Court of Session SSP press and policy co-ordinator Alan McCombes was fined £500 and had costs awarded against him.

Last month he was jailed for 12 days after he refused to hand over party minutes demanded by the court.

Mr McCombes was freed last Monday by judge Lady Smith after the party voted to hand the documents over to the authorities.

Yesterday Lady Smith ruled that his actions were in contempt of court and handed down a £500 fine. She also ordered Mr McCombes to pay the expenses incurred by the defendants in the case, including the cost involved in the search of SSP offices for the documents while Mr McCombes was behind bars.

Lady Smith said, “It must be understood that failure to obey the court is a clear case of contempt.

“Compliance is not a matter of choice. What happened in this case was blatant failure.”

The documents had been demanded by a Sunday newspaper which is defending a defamation case brought by former SSP leader Tommy Sheridan MSP.

After the hearing Mr McCombes said the costs awarded against him could run into tens of thousands of pounds.

“I think penalties that have been imposed are extremely harsh,” he said.

“Not just the £500 but the tens of thousands of pounds of costs awarded against me, News International costs, the cost of raiding and searching my home and party headquarters in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

“I think it’s been an extraordinary situation.

“I certainly don’t have any assets or resources and it may be a case that you have to get blood out of stone. I have to consider all the options.”

Mr McCombes said he had no regrets about the stand he took.

“I think it was an important matter of principle, an important issue of conscience, and I think it’s got far reaching implications, not just for other political parties but volunteer organisations and charities, for the local bowling club or the local women’s institute, that their private affairs can be unravelled in this way by the court.” he said.

SSP leader Colin Fox said, “Clearly our lawyers will be in negotiations about the figure.

“What you can be assured is that the whole party will rally round.”