Andrew Hamilton

The head of Britain's largest bus operator yesterday watched the demolition of part of its 40-year-old depot.

Moir Lockhead, chief executive of FirstGroup, said it was "fantastic" to see the latest stage of the demolition to make way for a new £20m global headquarters and depot in Aberdeen.

The new base will be built on the same King Street site as the current headquarters, where 40-year-old bus sheds are being torn down.

The new development is expected to be complete by next spring. An original 1862 listed building will be retained as its focal point.

Mr Lockhead said: "This is a fantastic day for us. It has taken a long time to get to this point."

The firm was established in 1989 with around 600 staff. It now employs 135,000 people in the UK and North America.

The group is also the UK's largest rail operator with four passenger franchises, including ScotRail.

Around 700 people will be based at the new headquarters.