One of the country's largest unions has hit out at Labour decision to follow Scottish Labour and pledge to ban fracking in government.

Gary Smith, the GMB union's Scotland Secretary, said: "We will have to confront the fact that we will be buying gas from hangmen, henchmen and head-choppers. We don't think that's ethical."

Scottish Labour has already said it would bar companies fracking north of the Border and challenged the SNP to do the same.

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Now Jeremy Corbyn's party has announced plans to do the same south of the Border.

Shadow minister Barry Gardiner won loud applause at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool when he attacked the UK Government's policy on promoting shale gas.

His pledge to ban fracking was welcomed by environmental campaigners but was described as "madness" by opponents, who unleashed a furious attack on Mr Corbyn over the decision.

Mr Smith added: "Britain needs gas. The first fracked gas from America arrives tomorrow at Grangemouth. Carting gas across oceans is not good from the environment and not good for security of supply in the UK.

“Given we will need gas to heat our homes and power industry, the question is therefore where are we going to get our gas from. We are increasingly going to be dependent on regimes fronted by henchmen, hangmen and headchoppers for the gas we need. That isn't ethical and is surely an abdication of our environmental and moral responsibilities.”

A tanker carrying 27,500 m3 of ethane from American shale fields is due to dock at the Grangemouth refinery and petrochemicals plant owned by global chemical giant Ineos.

The company said the shipment aboard carrier Ineos Insight was the culmination of a £1.6 billion investment resulting in eight tankers forming a "virtual pipeline" between the US and the UK and Norway.

Ineos has pointed out how shale gas will replace dwindling North Sea supplies and secure essential raw material for Grangemouth, supporting thousands of manufacturing jobs.

“This is a hugely important day for Ineos and the UK. Shale gas can help stop the decline of British manufacturing,” said Jim Ratcliffe, the company’s founder and chairman.

In his conference address, Mr Gardiner denounced former chancellor George Osborne for passing the most generous tax regime for shale gas anywhere in the world.

"Well, that will change under Labour,” he declared.

"There are technical problems with fracking and they give rise to real environmental dangers. But technical problems can be overcome. So on their own they're not a good enough reason to ban fracking.

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"The real reason to ban fracking is that it locks us into an energy infrastructure that is based on fossil fuels long after our country needs to have moved to clean energy. So today I am announcing that a future Labour government will ban fracking.”

The London MP added: "We will consult with our colleagues in industry and the trade unions about the best way to transition our energy industry to create the vital jobs and apprenticeships we are going to need for the UK's low-carbon future."

Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party, welcomed Labour's pledge to ban fracking.

"Not only does fracking pose risks to local communities but drilling for gas under our countryside risks undermining our climate change commitments too.

"It's now down to every Labour politician, from local councillors, to assembly members and MPs, to oppose any plans for fracking in their areas."

Hannah Martin, energy campaigner at Greenpeace UK, also responded positively to Mr Gardiner’s announcement, saying: "It's encouraging to see some politicians have noticed that the energy industry is undergoing some changes.

"With opposition to fracking an all-time high across the country, this ban on an unproven and inexperienced industry will be widely welcomed.

"But the really forward-looking part of this announcement is the democratisation of energy.

"Support for community energy schemes can empower the people of Britain to take back control from the stranglehold of the Big Six, and choose cleaner and increasingly cheaper energy than the fracked gas and nuclear reactors being pushed by the Government."

But Ken Cronin, chief executive of UKOOG, the onshore oil and gas trade body, warned about narrowing Britain’s energy supply.

"We import over 50 per cent of our gas usage today and that is set to rise to 80 per cent while at the same time 84 per cent of our homes use gas for heating, 61 per cent for cooking, up to 50 per cent of our electricity comes from gas and a large number of everyday products use gas as an integral feedstock.

"Imports of gas as LNG[liquefied natural gas] are 15 per cent more carbon intensive than locally produced shale gas.

"If we want to maintain the right of the general public to access heat and power securely, manage climate change, create UK based jobs then we need to develop renewables, nuclear and natural gas from shale.

Read more: Brexit can result in 'neo-independence' for Scotland, insists ex-SNP minister

"To go for a narrow one size fits all approach will lead to more imports and a detrimental impact on the environment and economy," he added.

With the UK Labour Party now following Scottish Labour in backing a ban on fracking for indigenous shale resources if it wins the next general election, the technique remains controversial on both sides of the border.

Despite pleas from Ineos to embrace shale gas drilling, a Scottish Government moratorium on the practice remains in place, in contrast to the pro-fracking stance of the UK Government.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth has stepped up their opposition to fracking ahead of the shipment's arrival, highlighting the experience of residents of Pennsylvania, where almost 10,000 gas wells have been drilled.

Ron Gulla, a former resident of Hickory, Pennsylvania, who signed a lease for fracking on his land in 2002, said: "I have witnessed first-hand how the fracking industry has brought permanent damage across the Pennsylvania region, polluted our air, land and water and is destroying our livelihoods.

"Those living near drilling, infrastructure or waste sites have suffered water contamination, spills, wastewater dumping and gas leaks, as well as multiple health impacts.

"My property and life have been destroyed by this industry. I don't know how the harm the fracking industry has caused can ever be corrected or how these injured places will get back their clean water. We must never lose sight of the fact that water is more important than gas," he added.

Mary Church, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "It is completely unacceptable to attempt to prop up Ineos's petrochemicals plants on the back of human suffering and environmental destruction across the Atlantic. The fact that Scottish public money is tied up in this project is disgraceful.

"Setting aside the devastating local impacts of fracking, the climate consequences of extracting yet more fossil fuels are utterly disastrous. If Jim Ratcliffe was really concerned about the future of the Grangemouth plant and its workers, he would be planning for its transition to a low-carbon model.

"We urge the Scottish Government to act swiftly to ban fracking and start planning seriously for a fair transition to a low-carbon economy across all sectors. Fracking should not happen here in Scotland, or anywhere,” she added.