A WORKER at an Algerian gas plant where British hostages were killed in a terrorist siege allegedly threatened management with "bloodshed" the night before the attack.

Six Britons, includingScots Carson Bilsland and Kenneth Whiteside, were among 40 hostages killed by al Qaeda-linked Islamists during a four-day stand-off in January 2013 at the In Amenas complex.

An inquest into their death at the Royal Courts Of Justice in London heard that in the months before the attack there had been several labour disputes with local workers, jointly run by BP, Norwegian state oil company Statoil and Algerian government- owned Sonatrach.

Giving evidence, In Amenas deputy general manager Mark Cobb was asked about a meeting that was held on the night of January 15.

It was between management and representatives of Algerian drivers who had gone on strike.

Bridget Dolan, counsel to the coroner, put to him claims that a translator had overheard one of the drivers' representatives say: "You have made your law but tomorrow when you wake up you will have a surprise and there will be bloodshed."

Mr Cobb replied: "No one translated that for me, nobody told me that comment had been made.

"If I had been made aware of that I would have been extremely worried."

The inquest continues.