Hopes of end to refinery row

Hopes of an end to the row rose after the proposal was drawn up following peace talks between leaders of the Unite union and bosses from Ineos, which owns the giant refinery in Scotland.

Ineos chief Jim Ratcliffe took part in the meeting, held within hours of the end of a 48-hour strike by 1,200 workers, which led to the closure of Grangemouth.

A brief joint statement said: "It was a constructive and meaningful discussion and ended in a proposal that will be considered by the company and the union in the coming days with a view to finding a resolution to the pensions dispute."

The Grangemouth complex began returning to production after the strike, which was held in protest at the planned closure of Ineos's final salary pension scheme to new workers.

Business Secretary John Hutton visited Grangemouth and welcomed the new talks, adding: "There is a gap between the two sides that has got to be bridged - only the two parties themselves can reach an agreement.

"No-one can do that for them. But I hope there is now a mood to try and reach an agreement."

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond also welcomed the news.

After being briefed on developments at the weekly meeting of the Holyrood Cabinet, he said: "I'm very pleased both sides have listened to the advice of the two governments in Edinburgh and Westminster - and indeed the wider Scottish community - in engaging in meaningful discussions."

Emergency fuel supplies from Europe have arrived in Scotland to ease the pressure on forecourts.