Deputy First Minister John Swinney has held a business meeting to discuss the impact by the closure of the Forth Road Bridge.

A number of trade bodies including the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) attended the meeting today, 08 December.

The Forth Road Bridge has been closed for 'urgent' repairs until the new year due to issues with defective steelwork.

It is understood work on the structure will begin next week, with operators carrying out a controlled test to check for structural behaviour.

Mr Swinney said: "The run-up to Christmas is critical for many businesses and there is no doubt the closure of the Forth Road Bridge will have a significant effect on the economy.

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"That's why we have worked quickly to implement a travel plan that helps firms mitigate, as far as possible, the inconvenience of the bridge closure.

"The meeting today was an opportunity for business groups to feed in the views of their members so we can fully understand the implications of the closure on business and for staff.

"We will fully consider the points made by the business community and I am clear that if the travel plan needs to be altered, we will do that."

However, the RHA is concerned the Scottish Government does not fully appreciate the impact of the closure on the haulage industry.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: "Although we welcome the dedicated HGV route on the A985, the additional cost to hauliers is immense.

The extra cost for a single HGV to replace what is in effect, a 2.5 mile journey with a detour that can amount to approximately a 60 mile round trip will add an extra £30 in fuel costs alone.

"With an estimated 10,500 HGVs using the Bridge each day, the additional operating costs for the industry will be well in excess of £600,000 per day."

(LM/JP)