The deaths of residents at a care home are being investigated by a healthcare watchdog.

Fairfield Care Home in Inverness is at the centre of a probe by the Care Inspectorate after the deaths occurred last month.

A report on Fairfield compiled in May last year found it had improved to 'adequate', having previously been found to be 'weak' in an inspection in 2015.

An updated check of the 35-bed facility last November found it had met two of the nine recommendations for improvement the watchdog had made.

A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: "We have been recently been notified of some deaths this care home and our thoughts are with those affected at this sad time.

"A separate matter has been raised with us, which we are dealing with as a complaint.

"This will be fully investigated and, if upheld, the outcome will be published in due course.

"We continue to work with Fairfield Care Home and with the NHS Highland to ensure residents' needs are met and their rights respected."

No one at Fairfield Care Home was available for comment when contacted by STV News on Friday.

An NHS Highland spokeswoman said: "We have been made aware of potential issues around the standard of care at Fairfield Care Home. As a result we have suspended admissions to the home while we work with them to ensure care and support is in place at a standard we would expect.

"All families and next of kin have been informed of what is happening."