WYE Valley-raised Harry Potter author JK Rowling has dared Scottish Police to arrest her over her transgender posts, after the introduction of controversial new hate laws in Scotland last week.

The multi-millionaire writer, who grew up in Tutshill near Chepstow and lives today in Edinburgh, has been outspoken in her online comments, describing several transgender women as men, including convicted prisoners, trans activists and other public figures.

And she has slammed the new laws which came into effect last week and creates a new crime of "stirring up hatred" relating to protected characteristics, daring officers to arrest her.

Thousands of complaints under the law were made in the first few days, but Scottish Police have since stated that no offences were committed by Ms Rowling, who has been backed by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said people should not be criminalised "for stating simple facts on biology”.

The Wyedean School-educated author, who recently bought back her childhood Church Cottage home, originally posted: “Scottish lawmakers seem to have placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness, however misogynistically or opportunistically, than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls.

"It is impossible to accurately describe or tackle the reality of violence and sexual violence committed against women and girls, or address the current assault on women’s and girls’ rights, unless we are allowed to call a man a man.

"Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal."

She highlighted some criminal cases, including transgender rapist Isla Bryson and Andrew Miller, who abducted and assaulted a girl, and called them men.

And daring the police to take action against her, she posted: “I'm currently out of the country, but if what I've written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment."

Police Scotland later said that although complaints had been received, her hate law posts were not criminal and no action would be taken.

JK Rowling responded by saying: “I hope every woman in Scotland who wishes to speak up for the reality and importance of biological sex will be reassured by this announcement, and I trust that all women - irrespective of profile or financial means - will be treated equally under the law.

"If they go after any woman for simply calling a man a man, I'll repeat that woman's words and they can charge us both at once."

However some trans activists have criticised the police decision.

Katie Neeves, a trans woman who was appointed a UN Women UK delegate, said: “JK Rowling is a bully and this act was designed to stop bullying, and if they're not going to enforce it then that's very disappointing.

"She listed me and some other trans people along with some sex offenders and put it out to 14 million of her followers.

"That was inciting hatred and it resulted in me receiving thousands of messages of hate. So it's done what she set out for it to do."

But Susan Smith of For Women Scotland, which campaigned against the new laws, told the BBC it was "a great relief but it's only happened because she (JK Rowling) pushed it".

"Now hopefully anybody else who says something similar will know that they are protected," she added.

JK Rowling lived in Tutshill until going to university, and is thought to have based some Harry Potter characters on people from the area, like former teachers, and been inspired by local locations.