Renfrew residents have celebrated the completion of a clean-up to remove buried gas works discovered underneath their homes.

Renfrewshire Council undertook the £3million project at Royal Inch Crescent.

The seven-month operation was one of the largest of this type to be undertaken in Scotland.

The 26 privately owned houses were built in 1979 when the rules for building on contaminated land were not as stringent.

Gas tanks containing tarry residues were left in the ground while the homes were built on and around them.

The tar subsequently started seeping out, contaminating the surrounding soil and ground water.

Councillor Marie McGurk said in a statement: "Scotland has been home to heavy industries for centuries but in the past industrialists weren't very good at cleaning up after themselves.

"We have carried out extensive checks at Royal Inch Crescent including monitoring air quality in homes, checking the soil and sampling drinking water. Thanks to our massive clean-up operation we can now give all the houses a clean bill of health.

"A key part of this operation has been working closely with the home owners and I'd like to thank them all for their co-operation."

Ms Sandra Dillon, a resident of Royal Inch Crescent, said: "It has been a difficult and worrying time over the past five years since the contamination was first discovered.

"Throughout this time, the council's environmental services have been very helpful and have kept us updated on the process of identifying and finally the removal of the contamination. We are grateful that this has now been resolved and we can get on with our lives."