Councillors are ruling out a radical plan to shift West Dunbartonshire pupils to a four-day school week.

The proposal was part of a desperate bid to save more than £14 million to balance the local authority's budget.

But the council's ruling Labour administration says it will reject the idea because of the impact it would have had on families.

The move would have seen youngsters go to school from 8.30am to 3.45pm, Monday to Thursday, packing five days of learning into four days.

Council leader Martin Rooney said: "We are ruling out this option early to reduce the considerable concerns faced by parents and carers.

"We understand, the complexities this would cause for families in our communities."

He said councillors were facing impossible decisions over cuts to help close the budget gap.

They cut £7m in December but still have to find more than £14m by the end of March.

The four-day school week is just one of pages of proposals to be considered by the full council on March 1.

Cllr Rooney said: "Discussions have been taking place behind the scenes in a bid to retain as many of the services vital to communities in Clydebank as possible, within the scope of what amounts to ever-decreasing real-terms budget provision from the Scottish Government.

"These decisions are never easy and rest assured we do not take them lightly. Councillors on the West Dunbartonshire authority live in the area and are part of the communities affected by these decisions.

"It is with a heavy heart that we take decisions which could result in cuts to services and staffing - these are also our friends, our neighbours, our families and our services."