POLICE have warned the public to beware after recent reports of a card skimming device on a county cash machine.

There were reports of the skimming device being placed on the ATM at the Royal Bank of Scotland on Bridge Street, Musselburgh.

PC Jeff Lowe told a meeting of Musselburgh and Inveresk Community Council: "There is no evidence to say a device had been there but there was sticky tape round where a device might have been."

He warned the public to be on their guard, adding: "These devices are never there for long. People just put them on and leave them for half an hour or so."

A spokesperson for Police Scotland later added: "Card skimming involves criminals creating a device to closely resemble a card entry point on a cash machine. This is fitted to an ATM and when someone then uses his or her card the information encoded onto the magnetic strip is stored for fraudulent use.

"Our message is to be always on the look out for irregularities at ATMs.

"Signs to watch out for include a different colour or material around the card slot, or any parts around the card slot or key pad which may feel loose.

"If you're ever unsure, don't use the machine and report it to your bank or to the police. If you think you may have fallen victim to a skimming device, report this to your bank as soon as possible using the helpline number on the back of the card."