Protesters who have been camping out in an Edinburgh park have moved ahead of legal action to evict them.

Occupy Edinburgh had voluntarily moved out of St Andrew Square in the city centre and set up a new camp at the Meadows.

The City of Edinburgh Council, which manages the park, applied to the court to have an eviction notice served on the protestors.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday, the local authority’s lawyer Fiona Reid said the occupiers had removed themselves and their possessions from the park. She asked the action be dismissed.

The case had been continued from last week when the protesters had asked for more time to find out their legal position.

Outside the court on Friday, William Black from Occupy Edinburgh said they would continue their protest in other ways.

He said: "Removal of the camp does not mean Occupy Edinburgh is away. We will now prepare for spring and summer and get our message across by occupying and by other means. We will be going out to the communities of Edinburgh carrying our message and involving these communities in the Occupy movement. The fight goes on."