Stuart Sim had worked in the oil and gas industry for ten years when he got the dreaded tap on the shoulder.

A day-rate contractor, he was working as a buyer when his employer gave him four weeks' notice in March 2015.

He is now one of thousands who have lost jobs in the industry since the value of Brent crude oil halved from a high of $110 a barrel in June 2014. Its value currently sits at around $30 a barrel.

In September 2015, it emerged 65,000 jobs had been cut from the industry, both staff and contractors, since 2015.

Cuts in Europe's oil capital are set to continue as BP revealed plans to cut another 600 jobs in its North Sea workforce.

A Stirling University graduate, Stuart hunted for jobs near his home in Stonehaven but employment elsewhere was difficult to come by.

He said he felt employers were "wary" of him coming from oil and gas, worried he may leave if the industry picked up again. He finally accepted IT procurement work in Edinburgh and, after taking a 15% pay cut, now operates on a rolling contract.

Stuart rents accommodation in Edinburgh from Monday to Friday but makes the journey home each weekend where he runs a judo club.

He said: "It's definitely had an impact. I can catch up with friends in Edinburgh but it's not quite the same.

"My weekends are pretty hectic but I feel like I've barely got time for anything apart from work. People have suggested I give up coaching but I'd be pretty disappointed if I had to give up such a big commitment.

"My family are concerned both for themselves and the industry - my dad has worked in oil and gas for 30 years and is due to retire. He says he's never seen anything like this and that it's worse than what it was in the 80s."

Stuart said while working in oil and gas, there was "never any kind of inclination" things would change significantly.

He describes the day he was laid off as "brutal" and believes no one in the industry is safe at this time.

Stuart said: "My colleague got called into a meeting, he came out like he had seen a ghost. Then I got a tap on the shoulder.

"If people have a job in oil and gas, they're lucky. Long-term I would want to get back in, it's my home really.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it hit $15 a barrel, which isn't sustainable. There will be a knock-on effect in other industries and it doesn't help the government is saying there's no crisis.

"If it does recover it won't be the same industry."