AN inquiry was under way yesterday to investigate allegations that

prison officers were behind a hoax involving bogus parts in TV's

Taggart.

Mr Les McBain, the governor of Glenochil Prison, near Alloa, called in

the police after claims concerning two of his staff.

He asked for an immediate police investigation after it was suggested

that letters sent to elderly people offering them parts in the Scottish

Television drama as corpses had come from within his prison.

The move was confirmed yesterday by a Scottish Office spokesman, who

said the governor felt it was best the allegations be investigated by

police officers.

''After being made aware of the accusations, the governor felt that it

was in everybody's best interests that the matter be dealt with by the

police,'' the official explained.

''There is no question, at this stage, of the two officers, who are

alleged to have been behind sending out of these letters, being

suspended as it doesn't affect their work.''

The Scottish Office spokesman said he was unaware as to how long the

investigation would take. ''There has been a lot of widespread publicity

surrounding this hoax and it is only proper that it be properly

handled,'' he continued.

A Central Scotland Police spokesman confirmed the matter had been

brought to their attention and would be investigated.

Scottish Television became aware of the letter hoax earlier this week

after being inundated with complaints from elderly people, who had

received the correspondence.

In the hoax letters, sent to people in Glasgow and Edinburgh, it was

claimed that the producers of Taggart were looking for ''someone with a

natural, sad, haggard expression, deformed torso, misshapen legs and a

large bottom''.

Furthermore, they added that the person would play the part of a

murder victim, and be seen for around five seconds, ''naked, face-up and

in a contorted position on Glasgow Green''.