British fishing grounds are to remain open under a European deal agreed in Brussels.

Cod fishing grounds in the North Sea, West of Scotland, and Irish Sea were threatened with closure to conserve stocks.

However, the British government and Scottish executive said closing grounds would devastate UK fishing fleets and they helped broker a compromise in which bigger mesh in fishing nets is used to cut the number of young fish caught.

Fisheries minister Ben Bradshaw emerged from the gruelling talks after the pre-dawn accord to declare that the needs of the industry and of conservation had been met.