Bullying oil firm Ineos is being taken to court by Unite for refusing to hand over emails and data relating to union officials.

The High Court action was initiated by Unite after Ineos leaked confidential emails to the Sunday Times and other newspapers during last year’s Grangemouth dispute.

Unite is demanding that Ineos turn over all information held on union officials under the Data Protection Act, which Unite says Ineos and its PR companies Media Zoo and Portcullis are refusing to comply with.

The union also revealed that it had reported Ineos to the Information Commissioner after it failed to meet a January 28 deadline to hand over the material.

Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty, its legal director Howard Beckett and former Ineos convener Stevie Deans have all requested the information from the three firms.

Former Unite convener Mark Lyon, who was “tried in his absence” and sacked by Ineos after 25 years of service, has also demanded that Ineos release data held on him.

Mr Lyon is currently taking Ineos to an employment tribunal.

Mr Beckett said: “The stonewalling by Ineos, Media Zoo and Portcullis begs the question of what have they got to hide?

“No company is above the law and they should be in no doubt that we will pursue every legal option to force them to comply with the law and hand over the information that we, as individuals, are legally entitled to.”

An Ineos spokesperson said: “We are very confident that the company has done nothing wrong and will be fully vindicated in any court action.”