A group of workers who staged a sit-in at a collapsed Dundee packaging firm are set to begin trading with their own business.

The staff at Prisme Packaging organised the protest after being sacked without redundancy pay in early March.

Prisme found itself in difficulty after losing a major contract to supply packaging to whisky company the Edrington Group.

Twelve workers received letters detailing their severance entitlements, but they were also told that the company had no money to honour redundancy payments.

Shocked staff said they had been left with no alternative but to occupy the Tannadice Street factory.

Their occupation of the plant lasted 51 days. They were issued a deadline to leave the factory on 19 April.

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However, they have since elected to start up their own enterprise.

Despite developing a business plan and getting support from customers they struggled at first to secure financial support from the banks.

But an anonymous local businessman learned of their proposals and offered to help.

Last week the workers ended their sit-in, eager to make progress with their own venture.

On Friday, the newly formed Discovery Design and Packaging Ltd will officially begin trading.

Turnover is expected to be half that of the former Prisme Packaging.

But for staff every penny earned is a victory in tough economic circumstances.