A coal supplier has dismissed accusations that it has responsibility for a ‘convoy’ of lorries driving through Fairlie.

Concerns were raised by residents who said they had seen five-vehicle convoys on the A78 through the village. But Fergusson Coal refuted a claim by Councillor Tom Marshall, who said an official at Clydeport had told him that ‘convoys should not occur’ and that this was tracked by GPS.

It is understood that coal is brought from Fife and blended with imported coal which is then bagged and taken south from the site.

One local resident contacted Kenneth Gibson MSP asking what could be done to mitigate the risk from such convoys and reduce the frequency and magnitude of traffic.

In an email forwarded to Tom Marshall, Mr Gibson was reported to have said that “neither MPs nor MSPs have the power to stop such convoys.” He did add that he had attended public meetings in Fairlie and raised the issue with Transport Scotland and Fergusson Coal.

But a spokesman for Fergusson said that they were very clear regarding haulage companies.

He said that ‘contracted hauliers are fully responsible for managing their vehicle movements and routes,’ and that Fergusson ‘do not provide guidelines to them on how they go about doing their job’.

He added that no Fergusson managers or staff are involved in tracking lorry movements.

Councillor Marshall’s party colleague and Conservative candidate for the Scottish Parliament elections, Jamie Greene, is seeking reassurances from all parties that everything possible is being done to monitor, control and reduce inconvenience to local residents.

He said: “Not only am I disappointed by Mr Gibson’s response to this important issue, it is equally saddening to learn of potential job losses and cuts in this field. What is the Scottish government, our local MP and MSP doing to help companies in this industry across the West of Scotland survive?

“It is clear to me that the importance of big local employers such as Hunterston Power Station and Fergusson Coal is being overlooked by an SNP controlled Scottish government intent on getting rid of so called “dirty energy”.

“They are putting political ideology before jobs in my view and I think it’s about time we did more to secure local jobs whilst protecting the needs of and concerns of local residents.” However, Mr Gibson MSP responded: “It is pretty sad that the current Tory councillor and candidate claim that such ‘convoys’ can be stopped merely as a way of attacking me for ‘not stopping them.’ “Desperate stuff from politicians who should check their facts before sounding off! No doubt the people will be less than amused that they have been misled and their genuine concerns used for political gain.”