Diageo workers have written to  the drinks firm's chief executive demanding that he meet them to explain why the company is axing two of its plants.

The drinks giant announced that it was pressing ahead with the closure of its Johnnie Walker bottling plant in Kilmarnock and the Port Dundas grain distillery in Glasgow - affecting 900 workers across the two sites.

The company said that the job losses would be offset by the creation of 400 new jobs at its packaging plant in Fife.

A cross-party campaign involving trade unions, local councils and Scottish Enterprise was launched in a bid to persuade the company to change its plans and Finance Secretary John Swinney had presented bosses at the firm with details of alternative proposals, which would have seen production continue at Port Dundas and the creation of a new plant in Kilmarnock. But these failed to persuade the company to change its plans.

However, Diageo bosses said that the alternative proposals failed to "deliver a business model that would be good for either Diageo or Scotland".

Staff - members of the Unite trade union - have now written to chief executive Paul Walsh, telling him they were "very disappointed and angry" that the firm was not spending more time looking at the alternative business plan.

The letter was sent ahead of the drinks firm`s AGM in London later this week and it said: "We would like to invite you to come to Kilmarnock before the end of October when the consultation process ends so you can meet us and account for the actions and decisions of Diageo.

"We also want to present you with the petition that has been signed by all your workers and the whole community within Kilmarnock, in the hope that you will change your mind.

"If we cannot persuade you to think again, at the very least you will be able to explain to us face to face why you believe there is no alternative."

The workers claimed the alternative business plans could have delivered "significant savings" by reducing investment, along with "substantial annual savings" through efficiencies and a reduced workforce.