A Scottish war memorial at the centre of a diplomatic dispute has been restored just weeks after it was taken down.

The monument in East Ayrshire is dedicated to people killed during the Abkhaz-Georgia civil war in the early 1990s.

It was erected because the capital city of Abkhazia, Sukhumi, was then twinned with Kilmarnock.

The memorial was removed last year after a complaint from the Georgian ambassador to the UK and then restored following an outcry from the Abkhaz officials.

They branded its removal "vandalism" and accused Georgia of trying to "destroy the memory of the Abkhaz people".

East Ayrshire Council claimed the monument was removed accidentally and apologised.

The council believes the monument, which is dedicated to "those from our twin town of Sukhumi", was intended to honour people on both sides of the conflict.

It is unclear whether its view is shared by the Georgian government.

Kilmarnock is no longer twinned with Sukhumi but they remain in what the local authority described as a "friendship relationship". Abkhazia is also a vocal supporter of Scottish independence.

The Abkhaz-Georgia war left thousands dead and involved a campaign of ethnic cleansing by separatists forces against the Abkhazia's ethnic Georgian population.

The region declared independence in 1999 but its status has only been recognised by a handful of states, including close ally Russia.

Ambassador Tamar Beruchashvili, who described the removal of the memorial as a "good result", first wrote to the UK Government in September.

She claimed its wording was contrary to the official stance of the UK, which supports Georgian sovereignty and does not recognise the independent Republic of Abkhazia. She also objected to the inclusion of the Abkhazian flag.

Ms Beruchashvili then discussed the issue with International Development Minister Alastair Allan during a visit to Scotland later that month.