FORMER MSP Tommy Sheridan has launched a fresh bid to clear his name, claiming the public will be shocked when a conspiracy against him is finally revealed.

The ex-politician handed over documents to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) which he believes will lead to the overturning of his perjury conviction.

Sheridan said his 2010 trial, which ended with him being jailed for three years, involved "poisoned fruit" from a "poisoned tree" to secure his conviction.

His lawyer, Gordon Danger- field, claimed the alleged conspiracy against Sheridan was far reaching.

Speaking outside the SCCRC, beforehand, Sheridan said: "We are about to submit an appeal that my lawyer has been working on for the best part of a year and a half - a dossier which we are very confident is going to lead eventually to the quashing of my criminal conviction for perjury in 2010."

He also said that it would "expose a criminal conspiracy to conceal evidence during that trial and effectively undermine my ability to conduct a reasonable defence".

He added: "This is the culmination of a long process of collecting all of the evidence and I'm confident it's going to be the start of the journey to clear my name."

Sheridan successfully sued the now-defunct News of the World news- paper for defamation in 2006 after it printed allegations about his private life, including claims he visited a swingers' club and cheated on his wife, Gail.

He was awarded £200,000 in the case, but was later accused of lying during the proceedings and ended up on trial for perjury at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was convicted and jailed for three years in January 2011, but has always maintained his innocence.

Mr Dangerfield said the SCCRC application focuses on two grounds of appeal - evidence being withheld during the perjury trial and new evidence which has come to light since then.

The solicitor added: "We believe that we have uncovered a very widespread, very extensive conspiracy against Tommy Sheridan and against the course of justice in the civil trial, the criminal trial and in fact ongoing to this day."