Police in Perth and Kinross are now armed with teddy bears, following the success of the "trauma teddies" initiative in Dundee.

The soft toys will be given to children who are the victims of crime, have been involved in a road accident or have witnessed a distressing incident.

The trauma teddies, which first started in Australia, will feature a telephone number for the charity Children 1st who can provide support for families.

Local knitters are being encouraged to grab their knitting needles and help towards their cause.

The trauma teddy knitting pattern has been posted on Tayside Police Division's Facebook page for those that want to get involved.

Inspector Chris Boath said: "Often police come into contact with children who are perhaps a victim of a crime or have witnessed something fairly traumatic, and there's an opportunity there for police to engage with the child and build rapport."