Scottish Green councillors will "put power into people's hands", the party's co-convener has pledged.

Patrick Harvie joined candidates who are standing in next month's local elections.

The party is fielding 218 candidates across the country.

At the last national local government elections in 2012, the Scottish Greens returned 14 councillors.

Harvie said: "Green councillors can do so much more to revitalise and renew local democracy in Scotland and make it really mean what it should mean, putting power into people's hands.

"That's the core of our campaign, we don't want local politics to be something people feel is done to them, we want it to be something that empowers people to make their own communities better places."

The party is also keen to distance the issue of independence from next month's elections.

Green MSPs have backed plans for a second independence referendum but insist the upcoming election should be fought on local issues.

The party's other co-convener, Maggie Chapman, praised the work of Green councillors over the past five years.

Chapman said: "We have stood firmly with communities, with trade unions and others against privatisation of council services and against cuts to council services and we will continue to do so.

"Our manifesto contains a range of really important priorities for us over the coming five years."