Portakabin only firm to get Clan cash

Portakabin was today named as the only creditor to get cash from the city council after the collapse of the company which organised the troubled Gathering event.

Small companies in Edinburgh who were owed thousands of pounds by organisers of the loss-making two-day clan event in Holyrood Park in 2009 were refused payment, but council bosses handed 5647 to Portakabin - which has a turnover of over 150m - for temporary buildings.

Martin Hunt, whose city-based PR firm Tartan Silk is owed almost 8000, said: "Covering the costs of Portakabin in this way shows a lack of integrity on the part of Edinburgh City Council. It also shows a lack of concern for the businesses that pay rates in Edinburgh and contribute to the economy of the city."

The council denied it had caved in to Portakabin because of the size of the firm.