Tankers loaded with additional supplies of fuel have begun arriving in Scotland.

The move comes after a 48-hour walkout by staff at the Grangemouth oil refinery got under way.

Around 65,000 tonnes of fuel - nearly 10 days of normal supply - are being shipped in from Europe over the next few days to keep Scotland moving through the dispute.

Two tankers have been making their way up the River Forth, a Scottish Government spokeswoman confirmed.

Another tanker, carrying 3,000 tonnes of diesel and kerosene from Grangemouth, arrived in Aberdeen to top up fuel supplies in the North East of Scotland.

The strike has had an impact on the availability of petrol and diesel in Scotland, but oil giant BP said people had heeded the warnings and were not panic buying fuel.

Staff at the Grangemouth plant stopped work at 6am and held a mass rally in their dispute with operators Ineos over proposed changes to pensions.

The plant has been shut down along with a major BP pipeline which is powered by the site.

Workers' families and local politicians were among those who turned out to show their support for members of the Unite union.

"We regret deeply the inconvenience to the good people of Scotland, but we've been forced to make a stand," Unite's Mark Lyons told the rally.

"We're appalled at the lengths this company are willing to go to - to take our pensions, (and) to confine future members to a retirement in abject poverty."

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