Drinks giant Diageo has been accused of failing to �appreciate� the impact its closure of the Johnnie Walker whisky plant in Kilmarnock will have on the town�s 700-strong workforce.

Drinks giant Diageo has been accused of failing to "appreciate" the impact its closure of the Johnnie Walker whisky plant in Kilmarnock will have on the town's 700-strong workforce.

An advertisement signed by East Ayrshire Council's SNP leader Douglas Reid, Labour group opposition leader Maureen McKay and Conservative group leader Tom Cook, published in The Herald today, criticises Diageo's behaviour over the announcement on Wednesday.

It says councillors first learned of the decision in a press statement issued that day, denying them an opportunity to discuss the impact of the closure on the town before any announcement was made.

The council, which said it will campaign to keep the brand in the town, said it was with "great shock and disbelief" that it learned of the decision to close the site, ending a 189-year association with Johnnie Walker.

The advertisement states: "Generations of families have shown tremendous commitment and loyalty to the company over the past 200 years and now they are to witness the very heart and soul being ripped out of Kilmarnock."

It also states: "To us there appears to be no real appreciation of the devastation this decision would cause to Kilmarnock and the wider community. We are aware that this action has the potential to take Kilmarnock to the top of Scotland's unemployment figures, a position which we are determined to work against."

It adds: "Diageo are content that their proposals represent the right conclusion. As a council we have to question who this decision is right for - we conclude not Kilmarnock.

"We were denied the opportunity to discuss Diageo's proposals before the announcement on Wednesday. Informed, consulted, considered, we would have worked with the company."

A Diageo spokesman told The Herald it called the council's deputy chief executive, Fiona Morton, 20 minutes before the release was issued at 9.30am on Wednesday as a "matter of courtesy" because it wanted the employees to hear the news first. He said the company had attempted to make contact the previous day to inform her that a statement would be released about the company's review of its activities earlier this year.

Kilmarnock Labour MP Des Browne, who met Diageo management yesterday with Finance Secretary John Swinney, said Diageo has a "compelling" case to keep the plant. After days of sniping between Mr Browne and the Scottish Government over the closure, Mr Swinney said they would be working together along with Scottish Enterprise and East Ayrshire council to put forward a "cohesive argument and initiatives" that would provide an alternative to the Diageo plan.

"We want to ensure the proposals put forward by Diageo are not implemented and that we change their minds," Mr Swinney said.

Mr Browne said Diageo's plans were part of how it was reconfiguring itself for the future, but added: "If you take into account the importance of the heritage and the authenticity of Scotch whisky in terms of its marketing and the profitability of the Kilmarnock plant, there is a compelling argument for keeping it.

"I firmly believe that losing it would be the thin end of a wedge which will end up in whisky being bottled anywhere. This is an issue that Scotland needs to make a stand on, not just Kilmarnock."

The trade union Unite, which represents 500 of the workers, said it would not stand by and watch the region "turned into Scotland's unemployment black spot" with the closure of the town's largest employer.

Regional officer Jim Winter said: "We want a full independent audit of Diageo's figures because we believe the company does not need to pursue such drastic action and we fully intend to fight to defend these jobs."

David Mundell, the Shadow Scottish Secretary, condemned Labour and the SNP for their "petty war of words" following the closure announcement.