The former communications supremo of Edinburgh’s now discredited tram company, Tie - Mandy Haeburn-Little - has been appointed director of the Scottish Business Crime Centre.

She takes over from Alan Dobie who has decided to travel – starting in Australia.

Haeburn-Little was appointed director of communications and customer services Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (Tie) in June, 2009, and resigned three months ago.

It is understood she was in a salary banding of between £120,000 and £139,000 a year.

Announcing her resignation from Tie in July, she said: "I have lived and breathed trams for two years now and, whilst there will never be an entirely ideal time to move on, I believe this is the right juncture."

The Scottish Business Crime Centre is a non-profit making organisation created in 1996 under the Business Crime Reduction Strategy for Scotland to establish a partnership approach between the police, business community and Scottish Government.

On its website, the SBCC says of Haeburn-Little’s appointment: “Mandy has worked in a range of companies including Standard Life, the water authority and Edinburgh Trams. Mandy ran her own business for a seven year period and also has experience in public, private and charitable sectors.”

Haeburn-Little was head of corporate communications for East of Scotland Water from 1996 to 2000. She set up her own consultancy company, MHL Corporate, in 2003.