PART of Glasgow's industrial heritage is under threat - and a politician is calling on the city to step up and protect it.

Last year Historic Environment Scotland (HES) gave listed status to Provan Gas Works, including B-listed status for the impressive twin gas holders.

But owners of the site, Scotland Gas Networks (SGN), launched a bid to have the decision reversed saying the famous part of Glasgow's skyline would be too expensive to keep.

While the row rumbles on, local MP Paul Sweeney has stepped in to call for creative ideas to keep the identical structures.

He points to other cities where gas holders - or gasometers, to give them their proper name - have been turned into impressive features.

Mr Sweeney said: "SGN said they would prefer to see the gas holders demolished because they have no practical use.

"But they are part of our working class industrial heritage and would be a great loss to the city.

"To not keep them would be to show contempt for the city's history, particularly our history as a leading municipal city.

"The gas works was built by the Glasgow Corporation before eventually being privatised.

"We have the example of other cities in Europe where gasometers have been used to great effect

"With the appeal by SGN underway this is an important moment to highlight this issue and ensure people know about the risk to the gas holders.

"It would be a great shame to casually destroy them. I know they will divide opinion but it is a debate worth having."

Provan Gas Works was built between 1900 and 1904 by the Glasgow Corporation and expanded to become one of the largest in Britain.

The towering structures were classed as category B-listings while office buildings on the site were given C-listings.

In the 1980s the gas holders were famously used to carry huge Glasgow's Miles Better placards and form a landmark at the side of the M8.

In a report HES said the Provan structures were "a rare survival of their building type".

Other cities have turned creative with their gas holders. In London parks have been created inside gasometers.

In Vienna, Gasometer City is a neighbourhood built around gas holders and in Amsterdam former gas structures house an annual photo festival.

Tokyo uses giant gasometers as space for graffiti artists to work.

Niall Murphy, of Glasgow City Heritage Trust, said: "You can certainly look upon them as an important part of Glasgow's industrial heritage but the question is, what do you do with something like that?

"And then you can turn to examples from other European cities like Vienna where they have done very creative things with them.

"We could look at them as a unique selling point for the city - but it's how you build an economic case for it."

SGN was contacted for comment.