A man at the centre of a search after a car was found fully submerged in water in Aberdeenshire has been airlifted to hospital.

The vehicle was found underwater in the Burn of Boyne, just off the A98 at Tillynaught, Portsoy, on Wednesday evening.

Emergency services, who were alerted to the incident at around 4pm, continued their search for the single occupant believed to have been in the vehicle.

Police later confirmed that a man has been flown to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he is thought to be in a serious condition.

His next of kin are being kept updated.

The major search - involving police, fire, ambulance and coastguard crews - was sparked when the emergency services received a call alerting them to the incident.

A helicopter and the Macduff lifeboat were also involved in the operation.

Members of the public were urged to avoid the area while emergency services responded at the scene.