UNDER-fire Coastguard bosses yesterday sailed into a storm of protest over plans to close the service's vital station on the Clyde.

Chief executive Sir Alan Massey and chief coastguard Rod Johnstone had to endure a placard-bearing picket line as they were driven into the MCA's Greenock HQ.

Awaiting them was a grilling from MSPs and a top-level delegation from Inverclyde Council.

The two men emerged to insist that nothing had been decided yet - but they were adamant that modernisation of the service was 'long overdue'.

Sir Alan - a former captain of HMS Ark Royal - told the Tele: "There is a huge strength of feeling here which is totally understandable.

"I have picked up a level of concern over the intricacies of the Clyde area and fears about a dilution of local knowledge.

"I have sought to reassure that what is on the table is most definitely not a done deal." Under current UK Government proposals, Clyde Coastguard would close with the loss of more than 30 jobs. Aberdeen would be Scotland's only 24-hour emergency station with a daytime operation being conducted from either Shetland or Stornoway.

An independent team of practising coastguards from around Britain will collate all submissions to the consultation process before handing the matter over to the UK Government to make a final decision.

But Sir Alan insisted "No one can predict the final outcome." Chief coastguard Mr Johnstone said he was encouraged by the 'honesty' of the arguments to save the Greenock base.

But he added: "For me it is essential we take this step forward. We have been using the current operating model for 30 to 40 years now.

"I am not saying the Coastguard service as a whole has become ineffective but it is becoming increasingly inefficient." Asked if this was merely a cost-cutting exercise in disguise, he replied: "With modernisation one of the biproducts that comes out of the back end is reduced cost, but this is not about that. It is about a long overdue modernisation of the service." Greenock and Inverclyde Labour MSP Duncan McNeil challenged the Government to think again over its 'daft and dangerous cuts'.

He said: "The Clyde coastguard centre is responsible for the longest and most challenging stretch of coastline, has the fifth highest levels of incidents in the UK and has the highest level of search and rescue hours in Scotland.

"To remove this centre is not only daft but dangerous and I am disappointed that Sir Alan Massey was not able to give any good reason why Aberdeen should be favoured over Greenock in the review." SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, Stuart McMillan, said: "Today confirmed what I previously thought, these proposals are nothing short of a cost cutting drive and safety concerns are not uppermost in the minds of the UK Government."