Rescuers looking for a kayaker off the coast of Aberdeenshire have suspended their search.

Coastguard teams in Banff received a distress call saying someone was in difficulty off the Links beach at around 4pm on Saturday.

The person was believed to be a kayaker in distress, and police and the coastguard launched a major search of the area.

A search and rescue helicopter from Inverness, coastguard teams from Banff and Portsoy and three RNLI lifeboats from Macduff, Buckie and Fraserburgh were all involved in the "extensive" operation which lasted hours on Saturday.

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "After a thorough and extensive search of the area by HM coastguard and the police, the search has been suspended pending further information."