Did someone try and steal this Aberdeen parking meter?

A parking meter in Aberdeen has been pulled from the ground in what appears to be a theft attempt.

The machine on the city’s Hamilton Place was pictured yesterday dragged from the ground with blue rope wrapped around the base.

Leant up against a wall the bottom part appears open.

Hazlehead, Ashley and Queens Cross councillor Martin Greig called the apparent theft a “shocking incident”.

He said: “This is a shocking incident. It is deeply worrying to think that there has been such a malicious attack in the street.

“This is a relatively quiet and peaceful area which makes this even more concerning.

“It would appear that the machine has been tampered with and the bottom part is empty.

“It’s difficult to know what to do in these situations for the council because we can’t police every machine.

“This kind of crime is often committed by organised criminals.

“It’s unsettling to think such a violent, nasty type of incident has taken place on our streets.”

A police spokeswoman said the incident had not been reported to them.