RESIDENTS across Renfrewshire were woken up earlier than expected this morning after a loud horn-like noise emerged from the River Clyde.
The 'general emergency' marine alarm signal – seven short blasts and one long blast from a ship's horn – could be clearly heard over several neighbouring towns and villages shortly before 12.30am last night.
A coastguard rescue team was alerted a few moments later and residents from Renfrew and Erskine took to social media to ask about the source of the noise.
However, after further investigation, it turned out to be a false alarm from a ship which was safely tied up at the fuel depot at Rothesay Dock.
A spokesperson for the Greenock Coastguard Rescue Team said: "We can confirm that a vessel in the Clydebank/Erskine area had a malfunctioning distress system resulting in distress horns being activated around 00:30.
"Our operations centre have spoken with the vessel in question and can confirm she is safely alongside and in no distress."
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