POLICE boats circled a ferry as it crossed the Clyde.

The Western Ferries vessel was brought to a halt by officers at 12.15pm on Wednesday as it travelled between McInroy's Point and Hunters Quay.

It was established that the dramatic looking scenes were part of a staged multi-agency training exercise involving the ferry firm and emergency services.

A police spokesperson said: “Police Scotland was taking part in this operation on the Clyde in conjunction with Western Ferries.

“Members of the public got in touch with us to say they had noticed an increased presence involving emergency services, but it was not a live incident and there was no reason to be concerned."

The force also said that the exercise had no impact on the operational activity of any of the emergency services.