FERGUSON'S of Port Glasgow has confirmed orders to build two fishing vessels.

The company announced that it has signed a contract with Inverlussa Marine Services for a pair of 'aquaculture' support ships, which will be completed in May 2019.

The first will be 21 metres in length and over 100 tonnes and used in the Scottish salmon fishing sector.

The second will be 26m long weighing approximately 450 tonnes and featuring two decks.

It will be ready for late next year.

In Ferguson's annual accounts released last week, chief executive Gerry Marshall confirmed that two orders worth £5.4 million had been secured as of November and that three more were in the pipeline with 'further letters of intent' for three fishing vessels totalling £11m.

The documents also revealed the company had made a £60m loss, the majority of which was blamed on the ongoing dispute over the pair of delayed 102m CalMac dual-fuel ferries.

Mr Marshall said: "We are delighted Inverlussa Marine Services has chosen Ferguson Martine Engineering Limited to build these two innovative vessels. "Due to the extensive investment into creating a world-class facility in Port Glasgow, we are now in a position to offer companies, such as Inverlussa, the option to keep this vital work in Scotland."

The announcement comes on the back of an announcement last month that the Newark shipyard has already commenced work on the world's first self-propelled air cushion barge.