MSPs have approved a ban on plastic microbeads in personal care products.

The tiny plastic beads, which can be found in some face scrubs, toothpastes and show gels, can pass through sewage systems and be washed into the sea.

The items, which are not biodegradable, can then accumulate and turn into a source of marine pollution which poses a serious risk to marine life.

The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee at Holyrood has now approved legislation banning the use of microbeads in personal care products in Scotland.

The ban will come into effect automatically, without further discussion in the chamber at Holyrood, unless there is a motion to annul it.

The Scottish Government wants the ban to become active on July 9 to coincide with the rest of the UK.

Speaking after the committee meeting, convener Graeme Dey said: "This is a step forward in protecting our precious oceans, seas and marine life.

"Our committee is pleased to approve this ban on microplastics today - it means that trillions of tiny plastics can no longer be flushed down our drains and into our seas in the future.

"A ban on microbeads is of course only a small part of the solution, and there are global efforts to combat the overwhelming number of plastics polluting our marine environments."