A man is in hospital with serious head injuries after being attacked on a night out in Edinburgh.

The victim was standing outside the Sneaky Pete’s nightclub in the Cowgate at around 2.30am on Thursday when he saw two men having an argument.

One of the men turned his attention to the victim, and immediately became aggressive towards him.

He punched him, causing him to fall to the the ground.

The 25-year-old man suffered serious head injuries and was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before being transferred to the Western General Hospital in the city.

The attacker is described as a white man with a thin build, around 6ft 1in, in his late 20s to early 30s with short dark hair.

He was wearing a dark-coloured jacket, a royal blue top with a white logo on the left side of the chest, and dark jeans.

PC Lauren Mitchell said: "It's possible someone might remember seeing this man's aggressive behaviour outside the nightclub.

"The suspect made off west along the Cowgate towards the Grassmarket, so it's also possible someone might have seen a man running in that direction."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.