Police are gearing up to launch a major crackdown on violent crime this Christmas.

The festive strand of Operation Sandside will run from early December into January to tackle incidents that blight the region during the festive season.

Officers will be working alongside several partner agencies, including the local council, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Street Pastors and NHS Grampian, to ensure officers are patrolling crime hot spots.

The force said it is important to reassure the public it is doing all it can to tackle festive crime, and that it was taking a robust approach to prevent and investigate violent crime.

Inspector Rob Sturton, from the Divisional Violence Reduction Unit, said:

"Operation Sandside has been highly successful so far in tackling violence in Aberdeenshire after it was introduced to the region on October 30.

"We are committed to keeping people safe and building on the work that has been done with our partner agencies to ensure a safe and secure environment for residents and visitors to enjoy.

"Our message to everyone is clear; we want you to enjoy yourselves but to do so in a safe and responsible manner.

"We will make sure that the very small minority do not have the opportunity to spoil things for the majority who wish to go out and enjoy the festive experience in the towns and villages across our area."

The festive focus of Operation Sandside is being funded by Aberdeenshire Community Safety Partnership. Chairman Douglas Milne said:

"The co-ordinated approach used in Operation Sandside has proved very successful and we hope to create a safe environment for people to be able to go out and enjoy the festivities without encountering antisocial behaviour."