BUS companies have bowed to pressure after complaints a film advert was upsetting young children.

Stagecoach had already pulled the advert for the new Poltergeist movie, which shows an image of a clown, from the sides of vehicles and now First in Glasgow has followed suit.

First has also issued an apology to parents.

One father said his six-year-old daughter was too traumatised to use the city's bus service after repeated sightings of the image.

The Advertising Standards agency has been contacted by a number of families and is assessing the complaints to establish whether there are grounds for an investigation.

One Glasgow dad, who has a six-year-old daughter, said: "Over the course of the past four weeks my six-year-old child has started to become withdrawn, is unable to sleep and has requested not to walk to school or her usual activities using usual main roads.

"We noted that she was repeatedly closing her eyes and stating that she wanted to forget what she had seen.

"She no longer wants to use buses.

"These images, often depicting blood-soaked and evil children's toys or characters are sinister and disturbing.

"They pass by children who have no control over what they visually process.

" I think there are more appropriate venues for such advertising, and such images should be spared young children on their way to school."

A spokeswoman for First Group said: "As is common practice in the bus industry advertising on our buses is managed by an external agency. These are placed centrally, vetted against national guidelines and carried on First bus services across the UK. We'd like apologise to anyone that may have been offended by these adverts and are pleased to confirm that all have now been removed."

The Advertising Standards Agency confirmed it had received 19 complaints about the poster.

A spokesman added: "We're now assessing the complaints to establish whether or not there are grounds for investigation."