A new crackdown on anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related crime is being undertaken in south Aberdeenshire.

Officers will talk to businesses and licensed premises in towns and villages across the region in a bid to reduce trouble.

Inspector Darren Bruce said: "Our towns and villages in Aberdeenshire are safe places to live, visit and socialise in and we really want to support businesses and people to ensure it's a great experience for all.

"We are fortunate that the north east is not a high crime area but we want to ensure that serious and violent crime and issues with drugs misuse are minimised, and where offences do take place that we deal with them robustly.

"Working with local pubs and clubs to ensure they keep trouble out is key to this. Quite simply, alcohol can fuel violence and our advice would always be to drink sensibly and behave responsibly."