A chemical scare was sparked in Edinburgh on Saturday morning after a canister with a toxic content label was discovered on the shoreline.

Police were alerted to the incident at 9.27am by a dog walker who found the container washed up on Portobello beach, it is understood.

Three fire appliances were then dispatched to a stretch of beach near Morton Street, along with two special decontamination units. A cordon was subsequently set up around the barrel as a precaution.

After closer inspection it was determined that the item in question was a sealed container of detergent, with no spillage and no risk to the environment.

Edinburgh City Council workers have since visited the site and disposed of the container.