A tower block has been evacuated as bomb disposal crews investigate the discovery of "suspicious items

Fidra Court, in the Muirhouse area of Edinburgh, was evacuated tonight.

Police cordoned off the area around the block of flats and officers were placed on guard to prevent people getting near the property.

Some reports on social media suggested that suspicious packages had been found at the high rise.

One person tweeted that the 'place was alive with police.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Police responding to a fire at Fidra Court this evening discovered a number of suspicious items.

"Properties in the area are being evacuated."

Bomb disposal experts are on the scene, the spokesman confirmed.

The block has been at the centre of a number of incidents which have led to police being called out.

In October, a drugs raid found amphetamine and heroin and were called out to deal with a serious assault in 2012.