SEMICONDUCTOR maker Freescale, which has a research and development base in East Kilbride, is being bought by rival NXP.

The deal values United States based Freescale at $11.8 billion (£7.7bn) with Netherlands firm NXP targeting $200m of cost savings in the first year and $500m in the second.

Freescale was spun out of Motorola in 2004.

It ceased manufacturing at East Kilbride in 2009 which led to the loss of around 850 jobs.

Around 170 staff are employed at the R&D centre there.