AN incident where an elderly man offered a lift to two children has turned out to be a false alarm, confirmed police.

The youngsters, aged 12 and 14, were waiting at 8.30am on November 21 in Main Street, Alexandria, to get on a bus to Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School in Dumbarton.

The man drove past the teens and did a U-turn to come back, then he went into a nearby shop before he approached them, offering to take them to school in his car.

First reported by the Reporter online, the childrens' mum said: "He asked if they were going to school and when they said yes he told them he was heading up there and to get in his car for a lift.

“Thankfully my two are switched on and my son actually told him to get lost.

“Thankfully the bus came straight after that.

“At first they laughed it off but when they started thinking about it a bit more on the bus they started shaking.”

She added: “They are already worried about going to the bus stop again tomorrow morning.

“My husband will take them to make sure they are safe, but we shouldn’t have to do that.”

Police told the Reporter they traced the man involved and established there was no criminality.

He was said to be "mortified" by his mistake of speaking to the youngsters.

Officers said they would be speaking to parents.