The global chemical company behind a Fife petrochemical plant has been fined after five days of continuous flaring produced smoke that could be seen miles away.

ExxonMobil Chemical Ltd pled guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to breaching pollution control regulations at the Mossmorran petrochemical plant in Cowdenbeath on various occasions between April 7 and April 26, 2019.

The breaches occurred when the company was required to carry out continuous flaring for five days following an unexpected shutdown at the plant.

The Scottish Environmental and Protection Agency (SEPA) received over 900 complaints in relation to dark smoke and noise from the plant’s flare. Some of those complaining lived as far as five and a half miles away in Kirkcaldy.

Some local residents compared the noise

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