Grangemouth firm took £1m of public money months before closure announcement

A chemical firm collected £1m of Scottish Enterprise funding to create new jobs - just months before announcing plans to close its Grangemouth site.

The cash was part of £2.2m awarded to Syngenta in May last year to expand production at the plant.

Union leaders are meeting with the UK and Scottish governments after nearly 400 jobs have been put at risk.

Syngenta said it would pay back the Scottish Enterprise funding in full if operations cease at the site.

The company said it had been unable to make its business at the plant "competitive" in the face of "increasing international competition".

A total of 377 workers are set to be affected by the move.

A Syngenta spokesperson said: "Scottish Enterprise's grant was awarded in support of a capital investment of close to £15m that Syngenta itself has made at the site as part of efforts to diversify activity and try and secure the site's future.

"To date we have received around half of the grant allocation (about £1m), which we intend to repay in full to Scottish Enterprise if we cease operations at Grangemouth post consultation."

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