Ian Rankin has handed over a sizeable chunk of his annual earnings to a charitable trust

Legendary crime author Ian Rankin donated a large chunk of his earning to charity last year.

The Rebus writer handed over £425,000 in royalties from sales of his popular novels in 2017.

The money was donated to a charitable trust which he and wife Miranda Harvey set up a decade ago to fund good causes at home and abroad.

The trust has helped health, art and educational charities.

Rankin’s generosity was revealed in the annual accounts for his personal company, John Rebus Ltd, which handles income from his writing career.