A memorial to a Victoria Cross winner been defaced with spray paint.

The paving stone marking Archibald Bissett Smith's sacrifice in the First World War was laid down in his hometown of Aberdeen on the centenary of his death on March 10.

A black spot of paint was sprayed on to the Schoolhill plaque using a stencil and a nearby statue of Crimean War general Charles Gordon was also attacked.

The vandals painted out a section with the words "Kartoum (sic) January 1885, Dedicated to his memory by members of the Gordon clan", on the bronze figure's base, as well as a section reading "for the honour of our country".

The paint was removed by Aberdeen City Council workers this week.

Police are carrying out enquiries into the incident, which lord provost George Adam branded "disgusting".

Mr Adam said: "Aberdeen has a proud military history and to see these memorials desecrated by mindless vandalism will shock many people, it has disgusted me.

"Only a few weeks have passed since we marked the centenary of Archibald Smith's death in the first world war. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery and this stone was laid in his memory.

"I cannot understand why anyone would do this, it makes me very angry and I hope the perpetrator can be found."

A spokeswoman for Aberdeen City Council said the local authority condemned the vandalism "in the strongest possible terms".

"The council is liaising with Police Scotland and was advised by officers that we were clear to carry out repairs following their initial examination of the site," she said.

"A council team assessed the damage and has now carried out the necessary work to clean and restore the statue and commemorative stone."

In 2013, the words "Ye Have Not Yet Done What Ye Ought" were scrawled across the front of Marischal College in black spray paint.

Christian Weir admitted the vandalism in court and also confessed to spray-painting the council's Town House a day earlier.

The graffiti at Marischal College was left for almost two months amid concerns that removing it would cause permanent damage to the Grade A listed building.