McGill's are carrying out an investigation after passengers from Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire claimed a driver made an offensive hand gesture and that they feared for their lives while on board their bus.

The Barrhead News was contacted by a father who had been travelling from Paisley through Barrhead with his four-year-old on a McGill's bus, when the driver started driving 'like a mad man'.

The reader said the 51 bus nearly forced a car turning right into oncoming traffic on Neilston Road because he drove straight at him and was not going to stop. The passenger also noticed the bus was travelling at 45mph in a 30 zone.

He said: "He could have killed us all. People were frightened."

Another complaint was made regarding an offensive hand gesture made to a mum, believed to be from Renfrew, who was on board a bus with a newborn baby.

The incident came to light yesterday when a fellow passenger who captured the gesture in the bus' rear-view mirror using a camera, contacted McGill’s online.

She claimed the driver gave the fingers to a mother who questioned why he drove off while she was trying to secure her eight-week-old baby.

In the full complaint with picture, she wrote: “This is the way one of your drivers decides to greet a passenger on board his bus with an 8 week old baby... all because she comments on not being able to secure her 8 week old baby before he drives off... an absolute disgrace. Is this what you want to promote McGill’s?”

Within hours, the complaint quickly gained attention and received over 200 comments, shares and reactions on Facebook.

With the vast majority of comments overwhelmingly negative, many labelled the move “disgusting” and “an absolute disgrace,” with some even calling for a public apology.

Replying to the customer minutes later, McGill’s said: “Thank you for your comments, we are currently liaising with the customer direct.”

A spokeswoman for the Greenock-based company later said: “McGill’s takes all matters of customer service seriously and always fully investigates every complaint.

“This complaint is being investigated and, unfortunately, we cannot comment further until this process is complete.”