A WOMAN bus driver suffered a fractured eye socket when vicious yobs hurled a missile through her window.

And today Burnley and Pendle Transport said it was a miracle no one was killed.

Jan Kay was driving the bus in Lowerhouse Lane, Burnley, when the object was thrown through the open driver's side window, hitting the 40-year-old in the face.

The missile, believed to have been thrown by two teenage boys, then bounced back out of the window of the 40-seat single decker bus.

The company's operations manager, James Dunbar, said no passengers were on the Burnley-bound number 12 service at the time of the incident by St Augustine's Catholic Church, at about 9.50pm on Friday.

He said Mrs Kay would be off work for several weeks, adding: "She is not too well. She has got what is believed to be a fractured cheekbone. She is very upset.

"It is fortunate it did not happen at peak time when the bus was full as the consequences don't even bear thinking about.

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After the incident, the firm cancelled services through Lowerhouse, with high visibility police patrols on journeys over the weekend.

Yesterday bus bosses were trawling CCTV footage before passing it to police.

In January, the operator -- which has 92 buses and employs 20 women and 180 male drivers -- helped launch Operation Travelsafe. The joint initiative with police saw visible and undercover officers travel on routes to deter youths from disrupting services.

The previous month bosses had stopped buses going to Briercliffe after reports yobs were preparing to stone vehicles at the turning circle in Burnley Road, Harle Syke.

But Mr Dunbar said stonings were rare and hoped Friday's incident would not be repeated.

He added: "We are given reassurances to staff about what measures are in place as they are concerned for their safety. Police officers will continue to travel on buses and provide a high visibility deterrent."

Council leader and Rosegrove with Lowerhouse ward member, Stuart Caddy, today slammed the yobs as "absolutely mindless."

Detective Sergeant Derek Jones, of Burnley CID, said investigations were continuing to trace the culprits.

He said: "This was a very serious incident where the driver suffered a nasty injury. We would appeal to anyone who may have seen anything about it to contact the police."

Anyone with information should call Burnley CID on 01282 472144 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.