INEOS Shale has been branded "a bad loser" by Wee County environmentalists after the firm's bosses launched a legal bid to challenge the Scottish Government's fracking ban.

Holyrood announced the unconventional technique to extract oil and gas from deep underground would be prohibited in October last year, with the ban enforced through local planning regulations.

The decision came after a two year moratorium, as officials heard from scientists, advisors and the public in that time.

The SNP, Labour and Greens endorsed it, while the Scottish Conservatives voted against.

Tom Pickering, operations director at INEOS Shale, said the ban "was a major blow" to science and engineering in Scotland – and costly for investors.

He added: "It also removed, at a stroke, the potential for the country in these uncertain times to secure its own indigenous energy supply.

"We have serious concerns about the legitimacy of the ban and have therefore applied to the court to ask that it review the competency of the decision to introduce it."

A representative from Clacks Against Unconventional Gas Extraction, who protested against fracking during the temporary ban, told the Advertiser: "It's typical that a big business thinks it can ride rough over the democratic wishes of the Scottish people and our democratically-elected government.

"It's sad to think our courts would also be undemocratic and side with business interests and not the interests of the community and the Scottish people.

"I think this is the reaction of a bad loser who will not make any progress through the court system; we support renewables that are more equitably economic with no environmental impact."

Mid Scotland and Fife Scottish Conservative MSP Alexander Stewart voted against the ban, which he said is "steeped in afterthought and ignores the economic benefits".

The politician went on to say shale gas exploration in the country could reduce the needs for gas imports, "and even help relieve fuel poverty".

He added: "The Scottish Government's own advisers know this, yet still ministers are sticking to this needless and potentially damaging ban."

Mr Stewart scalded the SNP for finding itself in the courts again, saying the government "doesn't think its policies through".

He said: "Fracking could be explored safely if properly regulated – and then the whole country could benefit as a consequence."

However, Green MSP Mark Ruskell, the party's climate and energy spokesperson, said: "This is a predictable and desperate attempt by an industry sinking under public protest in England to try and salvage the last drop of commercial benefit in Scotland."

And added: "This isn't the first time that big business has thrown their toys out of the pram when they don't get their own way.

"This and the recent challenge on minimum pricing shows just how little corporations care for Scotland's environmental and social wellbeing."