CHILDRENS' deadly games are putting peoples' lives at risk as a new craze strikes the country.In acts of sheer madness young children are endangering the lives of motorists by hurling bricks from bridges at vehicles speeding underneath.

CHILDRENS' deadly games are putting peoples' lives at risk as a new craze strikes the country.

In acts of sheer madness young children are endangering the lives of motorists by hurling bricks from bridges at vehicles speeding underneath.

The latest victim was driving along the A14 at around 5.15pm on Tuesday. Keith Snowdon suddenly heard a bang and his windscreen shattered.

The 21-year-old from Thetford said: "I realised what had had happened straight away as there was nothing else around me.

"I so shocked I hit the breaks and swerved all over the road. The piece of brick came from nowhere.

"It hit the middle of my windscreen leaving huge cracks in it, then bounced off into the road."

Mr Snowdon looked in his rear view mirror to catch a glimpse of around six youths running away from the footbridge.

He added: "I didn't get a very good look at them but I could tell they were about 16-17 years old."

"I had to drive under the same bridge this morning and was very apprehensive.

"I slowed down and had a good look at the bridge before I passed under it in fear of being attacked again.

"I don't know what possesses the children to do it. They don't realise the extent of what they are doing.

"They need to realise that it is not fun or amusing and can damage peoples' lives."

Although he was unharmed Mr Snowdon realised the attack could have been an awful lot worse if the brick had travelled right through and hit him.

A spokesman for Suffolk Police, Mike Nunn, said: "I cannot over emphasise just how dangerous such behaviour can be.

"This man was extremely lucky that the youngsters actions did cause him to have a serious accident.

"Children are endangering other peoples' lives and this will not be tolerated by Suffolk police. Parents need to sit down with their children and explain to them that this is not a joke. Bridges are not a playground and such actions can cause serious injury."

"I would urge any readers with children to talk to them and explain how dangerous such actions can be."

In a similar case in Surrey, police have launched a murder investigation after an object thrown at a passing vehicle resulted in the death of a driver.

And just last week a girl of nine threw bricks at drivers from a footbridge over the M25, one of Britains busiest motorways. One brick smashed the windscreen of a car at Merstham in Surrey.

As the girl was under ten she cannot be prosecuted. The man was lucky to be unharmed and there was a high risk of causing a serious accident.

By the end of April there had been 105 similar attacks, but there were only 163 in the whole of last year.

Parents have also been warned about children placing objects on the railway at Runnacles Way in Felixstowe. Concrete lumps and shopping trolleys have been dumped on the track which could have potentially fatal consequences.