The theft of a vial of Covid-19 vaccine has sparked a huge police probe in Edinburgh.
A single multi-dose vial of the vaccine was swiped from a vaccination centre at the city's Morrison Street on Saturday morning.
Officers say the callous theft was an 'isolated incident' and that they are 'following a positive line of enquiry'.
Locals are being warned of scammer vaccinators as police urge anyone offered a vaccine outside a vaccination centre to get in touch.
Chief Inspector Neil Wilson said: "We were made aware of an isolated incident of theft of a COVID-19 vaccine from the vaccination centre at Morrison Street in Edinburgh around 11.50am on Saturday, March 20.
"The theft involved a single multi-dose vial of vaccine.
"A police investigation is ongoing, and officers are working closely with NHS Lothian and following a positive line of enquiry.
"Members of the public are reminded to remain vigilant to fraudulent offers of vaccine, which pose a risk to public health. Vaccines should only be administered by healthcare professionals as part of the national NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme.
"If you are offered a vaccine out with this setting you should decline and inform police immediately via 101."
It comes as a total of eight people have died of deadly coronavirus in Scotland in the last 24 hours.
Figures announced by the Scottish Government this afternoon reveal 488 new cases of the virus have been identified overnight, bringing the total cases to 212,997.
The latest figures mean that, since the start of the pandemic, 7,552 people have lost their lives to coronavirus in Scotland.
