Victims of human trafficking have been found in Aberdeenshire, new figures have revealed.

There were 150 potential victims identified last year across all but five of the country's 32 council areas.

They were found in cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as in small towns and villages like Alva in Clackmannanshire and Appin in Argyll and Bute.

More than half of Scots do not believe human trafficking is a problem where they live, however, according to the Scottish Government.

Justice secretary Michael Matheson branded it an "appalling abuse of human rights".

Human trafficking involves adults and children being traded and exploited for personal benefit. Victims are often sexually exploited, forced to work as servants or perform forced labour.

Almost 100 suspected victims have been intercepted at Glasgow Airport in the last nine months.

Meanwhile, raids on 80 premises across Scotland earlier this year resulted the rescue of a 15-year-old girl.

The number of people being identified as victims is rising and of the 34 people rescued between April and June last year, at least six were trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation - including one child.

The majority of trafficking victims in Scotland are from Vietnam, while others are from countries including Nigeria, China, Poland, and India.