Half a billion for Aberdeen City and Shire

£504 million in extra funding for Aberdeen city and shire - and we're told that's only the start:

Published 28th Jan 2016

More than half a billion pounds worth of funding has been secured for Aberdeen today.

A City Region Deal for the North East worth £250 million has finally being signed.

The idea is to support the North Sea - but also give a boost to other sectors, like food and drink and bioscience, to make sure the North East can thrive in the long term.

But on top of that, an extra £254 million is being pledged by the Scottish Government.

That will mostly go on improving Aberdeen's rail links with the central belt.

But £24 million will be spent on building a flyover at the notorious Laurencekirk junction on the A90.

Today's announcements couldn't have come at a more urgent time, with the region suffering from the slump in the oil and gas industry.

And we're told the cash will help unlock other sources of funding which could be worth billions.

David Cameron's also in Aberdeen today to speak to oil workers and bosses - and we're expecting him to talk about additional support for the struggling industry.