A public spending watchdog has cleared Scottish culture secretary Fiona Hyslop of any wrongdoing regarding a £150,000 government grant awarded to T in the Park.

Accusations of  ‘cronyism’ arose when it was revealed that a former SNP advisor helped the festival secure the grant, prompting an inquiry. T in the Park is run by promoter DF Concerts, which also owns King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow.

A meeting between DF Concerts CEO Geoff Ellis and Hyslop resulted in a one-off grant to support the festival’s relocation to Strathallan Castle in 2015.

Opposition politicians queried the grant but Audit Scotland, the body carrying out the investigation, concluded there was a “clear rationale for the grant” and that it had been a “legitimate policy decision”.

The festival has previously come under fire for the 2015 event, which caused travel disruption and was plagued by sporadic violence and littering.

DF Concerts recently submitted its licensing application for 2016, including a radical overhaul of traffic and security arrangements in a bid to overcome the concerns expressed by Perth & Kinross Council and appease local residents.

T in the Park 2016 will take place on 8-10 July at Strathallan Castle, with headliners The Stone Roses, Calvin Harris and Red Hot Chilli Peppers.