COUNCILLORS have agreed to remove Gourock's controversial coat of arms from display in the town wherever possible.

Members of the education and communities committee agreed with a recommendation that the emblem, which some have branded as racist because of its alleged links to slavery, should be taken down or covered.

They also voted in favour of producing additional information on the coat of arms in any location where removal or covering may prove problematic.

Opponents of the crest say that a black man holding a dagger on the emblem is 'offensive' and has an association with the slave trade.

A working group had been formed to examine Inverclyde's historical connections to slavery and it produced a detailed report which suggested that the crest should be removed.

While several councillors had floated the idea of holding a Gourock schools competition to design a new coat of arms, members of the committee did not make a decision on this.

Instead, officials will compile a further report examining the logistics of redesigning the crest.

Speaking at the meeting, council leader Stephen McCabe praised the work of council officers who looked into the matter.

He said: "I think it is an excellent piece of work.

"We've got very sound recommendations that are here before us.

"They do obviously raise practical issues and some of those issues have been highlighted.

"I think we should ask officers in the sub-group to look at the practical issues that arise from the recommendations and bring forward a further report."

The coat of arms is in place at the Gourock Municipal Buildings entrance, the Gamble Halls side door and the Dardanelles Memorial Window in Greenock.

It has been suggested that a 'representative sample' of the old emblem could go on display at the Watt Institution in Greenock with 'appropriate interpretation' so that there was still a place to find out about the town's old crest.

Councillors on the committee also agreed to a proposal to establish a heritage trail across Inverclyde highlighting key aspects linked to the slave trade, and a plaque dedicated to abolitionists who spoke out against it in Greenock.