But there has been another jobs blow for Clackmannanshire with the announcement of the closure of a textiles plant.

Unisys is setting up the European Enterprise NT Software Development Centre to recruit and train software engineers in the latest Microsoft Enterprise NT skills.

BBC Scotland's Hayley Millar reports on the Unisys announcement

The centre will work on specific projects for customers across Europe such as financial institutions, telecommunications companies and government agencies and departments.

Unisys Information Systems Group Vice-president Alastair Taylor said: "Unisys has a strong commitment to Microsoft NT technology and there is a growing demand for these core skills from our key customers.

"We are looking for new recruits who can apply creativity, tenacity and technical excellence to solve problems."

'Key target'

The project was won for Scotland by Locate in Scotland, the joint Scottish Executive/Scottish Enterprise inward investment agency.

Scotland's First Minister Donald Dewar said: "Software projects such as this are a key target for the Scottish Executive and its agencies and it is these types of highly-skilled, highly-paid jobs which I want to see more of in Scotland.

"The software industry in Scotland has a turnover of �1.5 billion and it currently employs around 20,000 people."

Initially the centre will be located at Unisys' existing premises in Bath Street but within two years it may move to other premises elsewhere in the city to accommodate growth.

Plant closure

In Alloa, 120 jobs will be lost with the closure of Patons RTN woollen yarn spinning plant owned by Coats Viyella.

Workers were sent home on Friday morning with 90 days notice of redundancy.

Clackmannanshire's textiles industry has been badly hit

Patons Chief Executive Stephen Russell said: "This decision has been taken in order to stem the significant losses that the plant has been making over the last two years.

"These losses result from the chronic over-capacity of the industrial woollen yarn market, made more acute by the increase in imported yarn."

There are plans to keep a small design and development operation within the UK but based in the East Midlands.

The announcement comes two weeks after Coats laid off 220 staff at the Patons and Baldwins factory in Alloa.

In March the company shed 200 jobs at another plant in the town.

'It's unreal'

A GMB union spokesman said: "The whole complex is now finished - it's unreal.

"We are annoyed by the way the company have done this, telling us the same day that they make the announcement.

"We will be chasing the company for an explanation as to why they are moving to the East Midlands and we will be looking for a further response from the Scottish Executive."

With Clackmannanshire losing more than 1,100 hundred jobs in 18 months, the Scottish Executive has established an action plan for the area's economy with �500,000 in grant aid.