ICL Plastics was today fined £200,000 at the High Court at Glasgow, having earlier pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2 and Section 4 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Sister company, ICL Tech also received a fine of £200,000 after pleading guilty to a breach of Section 2 and Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Stewart Campbell, Scotland Health and Safety Executive (HSE) director said: "Our first thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who died, and the many other people who were injured in this tragic incident."

An explosion at the Glasgow factory operated by ICL, which joined an adjacent builidng operated by Stockline Plastics, caused the building to collapse on 11 May 2004. Nine people died in the explosion and more than 40 were injured.

The HSE said: "Clear evidence was found of forces characteristic of a gas or dust explosion having acted on the underside of a steel structure that formed the ceiling of the basement. These forces damaged the I-section steel frame, welds and checker plate."