A CALL has been made for five councillors to be removed from a influential group that monitors Hunterston amid claims they are failing to convey their constituents' safety fears.

Independent councillor Ian Murdoch will today ask a full meeting of North Ayrshire Council for the removal of councillors Robert Barr, Todd Ferguson, Tom Marshall, John Glover and Alex Gallagher from the Hunterston Site Stakeholders Group (SSG).

Cllr Murdoch told the News that he feels local matters in relation to safety are not being addressed by the five men who represent the local authority at the group's meetings - and says he wants to see better scrutiny of the industry.

A motion has been put forward by him, seconded by SNP Councillor Alan Hill, which asks for a vote of no confidence in the five and for replacements to be nominated.

The Hunterston Site Stakeholder Group liaison meetings are held quarterly in local hotels and open to the public to attend. Both Hunterston A and B Station directors attend and take questions from the councillors and the public, while the Office of Nuclear Regulation and SEPA are also in attendance and submit reports. Local community council representatives are also on the panel and can ask questions.

Cllr Marshall, leader of the North Ayrshire Conservatives, said he is confident he and his colleagues are doing a good job.

He added: "When councillors were appointed to the group in May 2017, Cllr Murdoch did not put his name forward. Cllr Hill did and then withdrew it. Obviously at that stage they had little interest in working for the SSG.

"I am of the view that the current council appointees are doing a first class job and at the full council will robustly defend their position.

"Unfortunately Cllr. Murdoch, and particularly Cllr. Hill, are from the anti-nuclear faction and I am of the view that they would have Hunterston power station closed as soon as possible, irrespective of the experts' view it is safe to operate."

Cllr. Todd Ferguson, who represents West Kilbride, said: "The motion before council is entirely political and Cllr Murdoch has been influenced by the SNP group in bringing forward this motion. I have every confidence in the management and workforce at Hunterston, under the scrutiny of nuclear safety specialists, to ensure the safe operation of the site."

Labour councillor Alex Gallagher labelled the motion as 'attention seeking nonsense'.

He said: "I think this is a bizarre step. Cllr Hill has already been on the group and is now no longer on it because he doesn't believe in nuclear power. Cllrs Hill and Murdoch could have used other means to have this question addressed. "They certainly did not need to put down a motion attacking people without any warning, or as far as I can see, any justification.

"It just seems to me to be another way to try and get themselves noticed."

Independent Cllr. Robert Barr said: "I will make my feelings known at the meeting."

At a recent Largs Community Council meeting, Cllr. Murdoch insisted he was not anti-nuclear but believed Hunterston B Power Station is now 'well past its sell by date' claiming that people have questioned him whether it was worth the risk to re-activate the ageing reactors.

Mr Murdoch also stresses he is 'a-political'.