Businesses across Renfrewshire are this week counting the cost of their battle with ‘the Beast from the East.’

The extreme weather left many firms with no option but to stage a temporary shutdown as staff were unable to make it to their work and customers had to stay at home.

Bob Grant, chief executive of Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “There has been a big cost to businesses but I don’t think anyone could say exactly how much.

“Glasgow Airport, in particular, suffered from record levels of snow but staff worked round the clock to try to minimise the loss and inconvenience to customers. They really stepped up to the plate.

“A lot of companies will be going hell for leather this week to make up for the loss.

“I know, for example, that lots of the staff at manufacturing companies in Renfrewshire started early on Friday morning after being closed for a couple of days and people were working overtime shifts over the weekend to try to catch up on what was lost.”

Meanwhile, bosses at Renfrewshire Council have praised staff for their “hard work and dedication” during the unprecedented weather conditions.

A council spokesperson said: “Their commitment to serving the Renfrewshire community is greatly appreciated.

“Over the weekend, we had more than 250 staff members working on a 24-hour schedule to clear and then grit the roads, with 200 continuing to keep Renfrewshire moving on Monday.

“Our teams have covered more than 18,000 miles, using more than 50 vehicles at any one time, and have spread more than 1,000 tonnes of grit onto Renfrewshire’s roads to tackle the heavy snowfall.

“We thank the public for their patience as we dealt with the severe weather conditions and also thank those who assisted in clearing their local area.”