Vandals have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to an Edinburgh cemetery.

Police are appealing for witnesses after 23 headstones were damaged and pushed over in Mount Vernon Cemetery in the capital's Mount Vernon Road on Wednesday night.

Detectives are particularly keen to trace a group of men seen in the area at about 11pm on Thursday night.

A spokesperson for Lothian and Borders Police said: "This is a shocking act of disrespect, and will no doubt cause distress to a number of families, and the total cost of the damage caused could reach thousands of pounds.

"These headstones are big and heavy, and would have taken some degree of force to shift, so it could not have been done quickly or very quietly.

"We are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area last night, and who saw something suspicious, to get in touch with police."