THE first of nine coastguard stations scheduled for closure around the UK has transmitted its last broadcast, leaving the east coast of Scotland covered by a handful of staff based in Aberdeen.

Forth Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, which has overseen coastal rescues for more than a century, closed shortly after lunchtime yesterday as a controversial modernisation programme began.

Its demise was hailed as the end of an era and prompted fresh warnings that maritime safety will suffer as rescues are co-ordinated by fewer staff working from more remote stations.

Half of the current network of 18 coastguard stations are due to close, with more than 1000 redundancies.

Clyde Coastguard has been earmarked for closure next March, leaving only Shetland and Aberdeen overseeing the entire Scottish coastline. The smaller network of coastguard stations is due to be co-ordinated by a new Maritime Operations Centre based in Fareham in Hampshire, due to open in 2014.

Critics say it will lead to the loss of valuable local knowledge and that the next two-year "interim" period before the new centre opens will be especially dangerous.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "It's a sad day for Forth Coastguard as a chapter in history going back around 100 years is brought to an end."

The MCA said there would be no reduction in front line resources or impact on safety as a result of Forth's closure.