ALMOST 900 staff united to toast Torness Power Station’s 35th birthday.

Construction work began on the nuclear power station near Dunbar in 1980, with generation starting eight years later.

Since then, thousands of people have worked at the power station, which is due to close in 2028.

To mark the 35th birthday, marquees were set up outside and food from a number of East Lothian businesses enjoyed.

A hog roast was supplied by Hickory (Musselburgh), while pizza was available via local favourites the Big Blu (Dunbar) and the Wee Green Van (North Berwick).

This was followed by Luca’s ice cream (Musselburgh) and fresh doughnuts from Seriously Dough (Dunbar).

In the last 35 years, the station has generated more than 285TWh of electricity, enough to supply every home in Scotland for 29 years.

Currently, about 550 members of staff are employed at the station, with a further 180 full-time contract partners.

Some former employees returned for the celebrations as VIP guests, including David Morris, the site’s construction manager from 1980 to 1988.