A couple accused of stealing paintings from Billy Connolly's former neighbours have had the case against them dropped.

Artworks worth £250,000 were allegedly taken from a property next to the comedian's former home in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, in 2001.

Penelope Thomas-Smith and her husband Phillip, who lived near Candacraig Estate at the time, were arrested in Bulgaria last May.

They appeared in court last week charged with breaking into Candacraig Gardens and taking the paintings, but on Wednesday the case against them was dropped by the Crown Office.

"As with any case, the decision to prosecute was taken after full and careful consideration of all the facts and circumstances and the evidence available at that time," a spokesman said.

"It is the duty of the Crown to keep cases under review and due to a change in the evidential position the Crown decided to discontinue proceedings."

The paintings, by colourists Francis CB Cadell and George Leslie Hunter, were recovered in 2006 and returned to their owner.

Glaswegian Connolly bought Candacraig House with his wife Pamela Stephenson in 1998 and sold it for nearly £3m in 2014.