Liberal Democrat councillors will champion local areas and not be "cheerleaders for independence", the party's leader has said.

Willie Rennie made the pledge as he launched his party's manifesto for next month's council elections.

Scots will go to the polls to elect the country's 32 councils on May 4.

Rennie says his party are aiming to "win more seats" than the 71 they managed at the last election in 2012.

He said: "Liberal Democrats councillors have a powerful track record of delivering for local communities across Scotland. They are local champions. They work all year round, not just at election time.

"Unlike the SNP and the Greens we will put local communities first, not another divisive independence referendum. With Liberal Democrats you get a champion for your area not a cheerleader for independence."

Rennie added: "Our plan for a strong economy and a fair society contrasts with the reckless hard Brexit of the Conservatives and the divisive approach of the nationalists.

"At a local level, Liberal Democrat plans will mean a transformational investment in nurseries and schools, a step change in mental health services and the scrapping of the unfair council tax."

Yvonne McLellan, who is jointly coordinating the Green council campaign, said: "Voters will have little time for the Lib Dems as they copy Labour and the Tories, shamelessly using the council election as a proxy for constitutional issues when it's about decisions over our schools, social care and housing.

"Our 200-plus Green candidates are finding on the doorsteps people want to talk about local services and that's what we're focusing on, pledging to put power back in the hands of communities."

Lib Dem MSPs voted against the SNP's plans for a second referendum last month at Holyrood.

The First Minister has said she will return to the Scottish Parliament to detail what she will do next after the Prime Minister refused her request to start discussions on when to hold a poll.

Downing Street said no referendum should be held until Scotland and the rest of the UK has left the European Union, an event not expected to happen until March 2019.