TWO motorists who had become lost and disorientated on the Clackmannanshire Bridge were guided to safety by police during the height of this week's storm.

With just 3ft of visibility the duo were found by officers and guided to safety and shelter.

It is just one instance of support police have provided to members of the public, amid what has been among the worst snow storms in recent memory.

The Met Office had issued a red alert – the first since the warning system was implemented – and the Scottish Government had advised against all travel.

Many motorists, desperately trying to make their way home from work, were left stranded on the M80 for house on Wednesday night.

Members of the the Wee County's fire and rescue team have been helping a wide variety of operations, along with volunteers from the Ochils Mountain Rescue Team.

In addition to the motorists on the bridge, officers also helped trace a vulnerable male in Forth Valley in severe and life threatening weather conditions during the early hours of yesterday morning.

Elsewhere, a vulnerable elderly woman in Aberdeen and a vulnerable male who got separated from his coach party in Inverness were also traced safe and well.

Conditions remain very challenging and Police Scotland are continuing to urge people not to travel in the affected areas. 

A spokesperson added: "Our advice is clear - do not travel in the affected areas but if you have travelled and you get into difficulty, stay in your vehicle, call for assistance and wait for help to arrive."

Between 8am on Wednesday 28th February and am Thursday 1st March, Police Scotland control room staff had answered 8272 calls (999 calls 1892, 101 calls 6380).

The spokesperson added: “We are expecting that we will continue to deal with a high volume of calls and are asking the public to help us manage the level of demand by following @TrafficScotland for the latest on road closures.

“We would also request that if people are looking for advice on local transport services please call the provider directly or check their websites.

“Our control room staff cannot advise people if they should or shouldn't go to work. We would ask members of the public to make that decision, along with their employers based on the conditions and the advice being given.”

For updates on the weather and travel conditions throughout the day please follow our social media accounts and those of our partners @TrafficScotland and @MetOffice.