BUSINESS leaders have issued an urgent plea to Scotland's First Minister for coronavirus restrictions to be eased in Inverclyde.

The Chamber of Commerce and council have co-signed a letter to Nicola Sturgeon, asking for help for the area.

The letter calls for Inverclyde to be moved up to Tier 2 at the nearest possible review point, to 'mitigate economic harm now while still protecting the public'.

Council leader Stephen McCabe and Chamber president Gavin McDonagh say that if the move to tier two is not possible at the moment, a date for the move should be provided immediately, given the district's challenging economic situation and the declining prevalence of the virus in the area.

Mr McCabe says the approach adopted by the Scottish Government does not give equal consideration to the 'four harms' outlined in the framework - life, health, social and economic.

He said: "We have all been working together as partners, trying to minimise the extent of economic harm to Inverclyde as a result of the virus.

"Inverclyde’s historic position tends to lead to a longer and deeper economic impact and recently published and historic data outlines the concerning trends in terms of our local economy that we are already facing.

"Economic harm should be seen as a significant factor in decision making."

Mr McCabe and Mr McDonagh are calling for businesses who will be moving between levels to be alerted as soon as possible, to allow them to prepare.

They want the Scottish Government to engage with a dedicated local task force group set up in response to the pandemic.

They have also highlighted a need for a more ambitious pathway to sustainably reopen all sectors of the local economy in the months ahead, pinpointing the 44 per cent increase in unemployment in Inverclyde between March and September and the significant decrease in the number of job vacancies in the area.

Mr McDonagh says he is concerned about the legacy of the restrictions on the area and about how economic harm will hit lower income households.

He added: "Inverclyde and its businesses have shown that they have complied with the regulations as they have been introduced.

"We have implemented a number of measures to ensure that the area’s economy could operate while maintaining appropriate physical distancing.

"Footfall levels across our town centres were beginning to rise and our businesses were reporting positive signs of some recovery.

"Businesses were also going beyond government guidance in terms of implementing processes and procedures for physical distancing.

"As a matter of urgency, we need to send a signal of confidence in Inverclyde to businesses."