Buses may be pulled after vandal attacks
9:34am Tuesday 14th February 2012 in News
VIOLENT yobs forced a bus to pull over after smashing the vehicle’s windows — then carried out a brutal attack on a 71-year-old passenger.
The pensioner, who asked not to be named, was pinned to the side of a bus and attacked by the two thugs just seconds after they hurled two bricks at a Maytree Travel bus.
Maytree’s managing director, Gary Hawthorne, said the incident has stunned him so much he will take all his Bolton drivers off the road if there is a repeat of the violence.
It is the tenth vandal attack on Maytree’s buses in 2012 — one more than they had in the whole of 2011. Police are investigating the attack and have urged anyone with information to get in touch.
The victim said: “I honestly thought my time was up.
“I like to keep fit and I’m certain that if I didn’t stay in shape, I would’ve come out of this in a coffin.”
The man had visited a friend in Roseneath Road and caught the 571 bus from Lever Edge Lane towards Bolton at just before 9.45pm on Friday.
As the bus travelled along Higher Swan Lane over the railway bridge, yobs hurled two bricks, smashing two of its windows.
The bus driver stopped near the junction with Burwell Close in case the glass injured his two passengers— the victim and a woman in her mid 50s.
The victim said: “All three of us got off the bus and I heard a bottle smash near the bus.
“I looked over and saw two lads walking towards us.
“One of them came close to me and hit me in the face.
“They pinned me against the side of the bus and repeatedly hit and possibly kicked me.”
The bus driver called 999 and paramedics took the victim to Royal Bolton Hospital. He was allowed home the following afternoon.
Maytree was founded as a family-run firm in 2009 and has 25 buses serving 30 routes across Bolton.
Mr Hawthorne said: “This is an horrific attack and I am staggered that they have done this to such an elderly man.
“Vandals are attacking our buses day in day out and things are worse now than they have ever been.
“We even had to divert one of our bus routes in Deane throughout January while the police dealt with the issue and who knows where it will end?
“If this keeps happening, we will have no option but to take our buses off the road, to keep our drivers and passengers safe.”
Preva Crossley, of Greater Manchester Transport Campaign, said: “I am shocked by what has happened and am not surprised that Maytree is being forced into considering suspending services.
“For a handful of louts to be holding the company to ransom is horrible.”
The man who struck the first blow on the pensioner was aged 18 to 22, 5ft 7in tall, with close-cropped hair and wearing dark clothing.
The other man is described as aged 18 to 22 and wearing a red anorak.
Witnesses should call police on 101.
