A woman who was sexually assaulted at a Scottish hotel was not medically examined because of a mistake by police.

The victim reported the attack in March last year and a statement was taken by officers the same day.

She agreed to be examined but told police she wanted the procedure to be carried out by a woman.

They said it could be arranged for the next morning, but a miscommunication between officers meant that did not happen.

Police Scotland has since apologised, saying the incident fell "well below" the force's usual standards. Nobody was charged as there was "no evidence to substantiate a crime".

In its letter to the woman, who was not identified in the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner's (Pirc) report on the case, a force spokesman said: "I am aware that information was communicated advising that you had refused to be medically examined, which was incorrect.

"Due to miscommunication during the handover between supervisors, the dayshift detective sergeant was not made aware of your wishes regarding a medical examination and therefore did not progress the matter.

"Please accept my apologies for the manner in which the supervisors handled these arrangements and the way in which you were spoken to, as on this occasion it has fallen below the standard we expect from our staff," they added.

The Pirc noted that Police Scotland had otherwise carried out "thorough enquiries" into the woman's allegations.

It also found that the force had handled her complaint about the incident properly.

One officer involved said the useful window for a medical examination may have closed by the time the victim reported the attack several days later.

Chief superintendent Alan Spiers, head of professional standards at Police Scotland, said: "This report makes clear that Police Scotland handled this complaint to a reasonable standard and the Pirc has made no recommendations.

"As there was no evidence to substantiate a crime, no one was arrested."

The care some victims receive was branded "unacceptable" by policing watchdog HMICS. It said services north of the border lag behind the rest of the UK.

Some victims are reportedly given the choice between being examined immediately by a man or waiting up to 48 hours for a female doctor.

"This leads to victims consenting to an examination in circumstances where they are uncomfortable, simply to get it over with," HMICS noted in a recent report.