A samba group from Edinburgh have had "majority" of their instruments stolen just days before they were due to perform at a huge festival.
The Edinburgh Samba School were gearing up for a gig in Germany as part of a busy line-up of summer performances.
The group often put on shows as part of community festivals and special events in the capital, as well as across Britain and Europe.
However the band have been left devastated after their white van, along with "majority" of their instruments, went "missing" from the Blackhall area yesterday (Tuesday 4 July).
Sharing the news to Facebook, the group wrote: "Some sad news from us today as our beloved van (a white ford transit ST10 XJA) has gone missing yesterday, which has most of our drums in it."
The group are appealing to the public to keep an eye out on sites, such as Gumtree, where the stolen instruments may appear for sale.
They added: "We’ve still got a busy summer ahead of gigs including Coburg (Samba) Festival in Germany next week."
The international festival attracts around 200,000 visitors and the band have reached out to their network in a bid to borrow instruments that will allow them to attend.
It is understood Police Scotland are investigating the incident.
Those with information can contact 101. Alternatively, an anonymous report can be made to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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