The number of people killed in Scotland has almost halved over the last ten years.

New figures show there were 61 killings last year, compared to 115 a decade ago.

That number was up slightly from the year before, when there 58 killings.

A fifth of the homicides last year happened in Glasgow but figures have improved in the city, down a third over the decade.

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Most homicide victims and perpetrators are men and until recently women were most likely to be killed by a partner or ex-partner.

Three killings from last year remain unsolved, according to the Scottish Government’s annual Homicide in Scotland report.

Justice secretary Michael Matheson said: “While we have seen large reductions in homicides over the past ten years, every death represents a tragic loss of life, leaving friends and families grieving.

“That is why we will maintain our efforts across justice and public services, through education and enforcement, to continue driving down violence in our communities.

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“We continue to ensure our law enforcement agencies and courts have the resources to deal with those who harm others, while supporting prevention work with young people and projects that help people break free from cycles of violence.”

Homicide is the killing of one person by another and can include murder and culpable homicide.