THIEVES with 'no thought for the good of their community' are being blamed for another disappearance of Inchgreen Dry Dock campaign material — with police today investigating the latest incident.

A large banner which had been erected at the Old West Kirk on the Esplanade in Greenock following the removal of others elsewhere has vanished.

The disappearance comes two months after campaigners — who are fighting to breathe fresh industrial life into the dormant dry dock — called in police after signage was taken down near Inchgreen.

It later emerged that the dock's owners, Clydeport, had removed that material as part of work to replace fencing and the banners were subsequently returned to the campaign.

Campaign secretary Robert Buirds told the Telegraph that the latest incident has been 'soul destroying'.

Greenock Telegraph:

Mr Buirds said: "We have got support from people in the community because it is them who have paid for the banners.

"They let people know that we are still fighting their corner and won't stop until the dry dock is fully up and running and providing well paid jobs.

"It is only us who are pushing for major investment in industry here.

"People with no thought for the good of their community have taken this banner."

Mr Buirds added: "Whether we renew it is down to the kitty, and it's pretty bare just now.

"We initially thought the strong winds were responsible, but everything's gone, even the tie wraps we used to secure it."

The Telegraph told last November how Inchgreen campaigners called in police after the owners of the unused dry dock removed banners calling for it to be saved.

Activists won planning permission in 2019 to display large roadside messages demanding jobs at the site but Clydeport took them down.

It later emerged that the campaign had reported the material as stolen to the police.

A spokesperson for Clydeport said afterwards: "We have replaced some of the fencing across Inchgreen as part of the planned development and regeneration works, as it is our responsibility to ensure the site remains secure.

"Banners and any materials attached to the old fences and billboards were carefully removed in order to install the new fencing, and these were returned to their owners."

Banners were reinstalled last month on a fence outside the former Berry BPI factory, further along Port Glasgow Road before the junction with Gibshill Road, and also at Old West Kirk on the Esplanade.

An Inchgreen campaign spokesperson said at the time: "We received permission to erect our banners on new sites; we now await officialdom."

The campaign has been provided with an incident number by police after reporting the latest matter.