THE Dutch food group that owned the Hall's of Broxburn meat plant has announced it is to sell its UK businesses.

Vion NV, which employs 13,000 people at 38 sites across the country, said the sale was to allow it "to concentrate on its core markets in the Netherlands and Germany".

Vion began the closure of Hall's of Broxburn meat processing plant in West Lothian last month after rejecting two last-minute bids for the business.

The plant is making losses of £79,000 a day and is due to close by February with the loss of 1700 jobs.

Vion said it is confident that it will sell its UK pork, red meat and poultry businesses.

Peter Barr, chairman of Vion UK, said: "We have already started detailed discussions with a number of interested parties and hope to be in a position in the near future to give further details about the progress which has been made."

Vion also owns Key Country Foods, Tranfield and Grampian Country Food Group, which it acquired in 2008.

The company supplies beef, lamb, pork and chicken products to a range of food retailing and manufacturing customers.

Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "This is an extremely disappointing announcement.

"Today is the first that the Scottish Government has heard of the sale of the other businesses from the company and we will be engaging with the company to maximise the opportunities for business continuity and provide support, where possible, to employees."