BRICK-hurling yobs are being hunted today after they smashed a bus window, terrifying passengers on board.Four youths were seen cycling past the number 87 bus as it travelled along the Old Norwich Road when one of them threw a brick at the windscreen.

BRICK-hurling yobs are being hunted today after they smashed a bus window, terrifying passengers on board.

Four youths were seen cycling past the number 87 bus as it travelled along the Old Norwich Road when one of them threw a brick at the windscreen.

The missile hit the crossbars, which smashed the glass but prevented it going through the windscreen.

The damage is expected to cost hundreds of pounds.

Roger Haywood, a spokesman for First Buses, warned about the dangers of such actions and said passengers were very lucky that the brick did not go through the window.

He said: “This is an extremely dangerous practice and it could quite easily have serious consequences if the driver becomes distracted by the impact on the glass. There is a risk that if the missile did go through the window, it could be life threatening. This is not a prank.”

One passenger who did not want to be named said they heard a loud bang and did not know what had happened.

She said: “We thought we had hit someone. It was lucky the girl sitting on the seat where the window was smashed was not sitting right next to it.

”It was very frightening.”

She added that the bus driver handled the situation well, but passengers did have to wait for another bus to arrive following the incident at around 5.20pm on Thursday.

Mr Haywood said: “If the whole screen is smashed, it can cost up to £2000 to replace, then the bus is off the road for half a day plus and there are labour costs too. The passengers are sometimes left on the side of the road to wait for the replacement bus to come along. The whole thing is a total inconvenience.

“This is a very rare occurrence in Ipswich. We did have a spate of stones being thrown at buses by schoolchildren a few months back but that stopped.”

Anyone who may have information about the incident should call police community support officer Roger Salmon at the North West Ipswich Safer Neighbourhood Team on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

n. Have you seen many incidents of vandalism like this in the town? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk