The SNP has maintained its progress at the ballot box, holding two seats with swings in its favour in the latest Scottish council by-elections.

As the Scottish Parliament elections loom next May, the party recorded solid wins in two contests at Fife Council prompted by the resignation of SNP councillors.

First-preference voting at Dunfermline North was: SNP 1,056, Lab 719, C 304, LD 230, Green 63, Ukip 58. The swing from Labour to SNP was 15.3%.

First-count votes at Rosyth were: SNP 1,214, Lab 926, C 245, LD 97, Ukip 88, Ind 66, Green 51. The swing from Labour to SNP was 11.3%.

The Rosyth by-election followed the resignation as a councillor of Douglas Chapman, who was elected as SNP MP for Dunfermline and Fife West in the party's landslide victory north of the border at the UK general election six months ago.

Mr Chapman was the last of 16 newly-elected SNP MPs who resigned as councillors to focus on their Westminster roles, causing a flurry of Scottish local by-elections since May.