A priest was attacked by a man with a glass bottle as he was sitting praying in an Edinburgh cathedral.

Police are investigating the incident which took place in St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in York Place on Monday morning.

In a statement, the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh said the priest was sitting alone praying in a pew when a man approached him.

The man asked if he was a priest.

“When the priest replied that he was, the man attempted to hit him on the head with the bottle, before chasing him to the back of the cathedral,” the statement said.

“The bottle broke on the ground and the man continued using it in his assault.

“The priest managed to fend him off with a chair before the attacker ran out of the cathedral.

“The priest escaped without injury.”

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said they were called at around 9:35am on Monday to a report of a 35-year-old man being assaulted.

She added: “Officers attended and the victim did not require hospital treatment.

“Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and anyone with information is urged to contact Police Scotland through 101, quoting incident number 0823 of Monday July 26 2021.”