Residents at a block of flats in Aberdeen were trapped inside after a blaze filled their close with thick smoke.

A total of 21 firefighters rushed to the fire at Albyn Grove in city centre, shortly after 10am on Saturday.

They discovered a number of people in the flats hemmed in by dangerous levels of smoke in the close and provided them advice, including opening their windows and staying by them.

Police closed off the road between Stanley Street and Union Grove while firefighters tackled the blaze.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "We got the call at 10.01am and there seemed to be a lot of smoke inside the close.

"We sent out three appliances initially, then subsequently a fourth.

"There were a lot of people in the flats who could not get out safely due to the levels of smoke in the building.

"We gave them fire survival guidance and told them to open their windows."

Fire investigators remain on the scene.