Thieves started a dumper truck with the key from a tin of Spam before joyriding it through a Midlothian housing estate.

The youths crashed through a garden fence after taking the six-tonne dumper truck from a secure building site in Dalkeith.

A resident told the Herald newspaper he was having dinner with his partner when he heard a loud bang.

He said: "The truck came out the field, through the fence, across the road and smashed into the back of my garden wall."

He said he had been told the young joyriders had started the vehicle with a key from a tin of Spam or corned beef. A Lucas key is normally required to start this type of heavy machinery.

The resident added: "The police woman turned it off with her locker key when she found it so I presume it's a pretty generic key used to start it."

The dumper truck was stolen earlier on Sunday but was later recovered by its owners.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police in Dalkeith are investigating following an incident on Easter Langside Drive, where a group of youths broke into a building site and drove a digger through a fence.

"Officers are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the incident.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."