A man has been seriously injured during an assault in Aberdeen city centre.

The victim, who is in his early 20s, was attacked on Langstane Place between Bon Accord Street and Bon Accord Terrace around 2.20am on Tuesday.

He suffered serious facial injuries and was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment.

Police are investigating and want to speak to three men in connection with the incident.

The first is in his mid-20s, white, approximately 6ft, of average build with short brown hair and clean shaven.

He was wearing a short-sleeve black T-shirt, blue jacket and ripped jeans at the time.

The second man was approximately 6ft, of average build with short brown hair and wore a black bomber jacket and light trainers.

Police described the third man as around 5ft 7in, of average build and wearing a dark baseball cap and large camouflage jacket.

The three men all spoke with local accents.

Constable Thomas Bashforth said: "If you were in the area at the time and remember seeing a group of men matching the descriptions provided I would urge you to get in touch.

"The area would have been relatively busy around the time in question with people leaving clubs so if you saw anything unusual or concerning before or after this incident I would ask you to let us know.

"Violent behaviour will never be tolerated and is completely inexcusable - this attack had the potential to be much worse. Enquiries are ongoing including the extensive review of CCTV in the area.

"However, information from the public could be crucial to us tracing the person responsible."