Scotland's only emergency towing vessel has been given a six-month reprieve.

Funding for the Orkney-based tug was due to end next month and fears had been raised that the service may have been scrapped.

On Monday, UK transport minister Robert Goodwill announced the contract had been extended and a final decision is expected to be made before September 30.

Talks over the future of Scotland's emergency towing vessels were held in Edinburgh last month.

Funding for a Stornoway-based ETV was scrapped in the UK Government's 2010 spending review.

It costs between £2m and £3m a year to maintain the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Kirkwall ETV, which has been used four times since the last spending review.

The six-month contract extension is expected to cost around £1m, which will be taken from the Department for Transport's existing budget.

Northern isles Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, Orkney Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur and Shetland Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott have all called for a more permanent solution to be put in place.

Mr McArthur said: "Although it is welcome news that the UK Government will extend the Emergency Towing Vessel contract in Kirkwall it is little more than a short term fix.

“The case for retaining the ETV based in our waters is as strong now as it was back in 2011. The risks have not diminished and so the need for emergency cover remains the same.

“It is time for the UK Government to end the constant uncertainty and confirm the long term future for the emergency towing vessel. Anything less would be to completely disregard the interests of our island communities.”

Ross, Skye and Lochaber SNP MP Ian Blackford has also asked for the Stornoway tug to be reinstated.

Braer oil spill

The first emergency towing vessels were introduced in 1994 following the Braer oil spill in Shetland.

The MV Braer spilled 84,500 tons of crude oil into the ocean when it went adrift and ran aground on January 10, 1993.

A report published in the wake of the disaster called for the introduction of a fleet of ETVs which could rescue a drifting vessel before it foundered.

Four ETVs, the Anglian Prince, Anglian Princess, Anglian Sovereign and Anglian Monarch, were based at ports across the UK until 2010.