North-east dairy farmers have taken action and united in a protest over milk prices.

Hundreds of dairy farmers from across the region spoke to people shopping at Farmfoods and Iceland Stores in Inverurie, Peterhead and Forfar throughout the day.

Their action on Thursday came as they continue to try to convince retailers and processors of the need for farmers to receive a fair milk price.

NFUS (National Farmers Union of Scotland) has called for all producers to benefit from an improved price with own label milk only making up a small proportion of the branded milk, cheese, butter, cream and yoghurt found in a retailer's dairy section.

The union and other dairy farming organisations have called for all recent price cuts and those planned for August 1 to be revoked.

Nigel Miller, president of NFUS, said: "A number of retailers have been convinced of the need to deliver a fairer price to hard-pressed dairy farmers. So far, those improved price announcements have been to the benefit of those lucky to be in the position of supplying a supermarket with its own label milk.

"However, it costs the same to produce milk on a farm supplying the liquid market as it does if your milk is going into cheese or butter. We want all dairy farmers to see their price returned to a sustainable level so that future production can be secured. That is something that consumers have given their backing to.

"In the next few days, we will continue to press a number of retailers and all major processors on the need for price cuts to be dropped and farm gate prices restored.”