Bus driver injured by flying glass speaks of workers' death fears

Published on Thursday 26 November 2009 08:37

A BUS driver who was hit in the eye with shards of glass after his vehicle came under attack from stone-throwing youths has told how he and his colleagues are taking their "lives in their hands".

John Docherty was showered with glass from a broken window after his First bus was ambushed by a gang of youths as he drove through Newtongrange.

It was the second time in a week that a company bus had come under attack, and the 44-year-old said he was on the brink of quitting his job amid fears of being targeted again.

The father-of-four described how he fought to control the bus after being temporarily blinded by the flying debris, and later believed he could have been killed.

Mr Docherty said he believed seven youths were involved in the attack as he drove his number 86 service along Suttislea Road at about 9pm last Thursday.

He said: "I had to control the bus and get it to the side of the road rather than do anything else. It's not a nice experience trying to drive a 12-tonne bus with glass in your eye.

"I reckon if I was driving at a different speed, the brick would have hit the side of my head and I could have lost my eye – or worse."

Mr Docherty, a First employee for seven years, was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where doctors discovered his blood pressure was extremely high. They believe it was a result of the attack.

In an earlier incident on 12 November, police said a 25-year-old woman passenger was left with glass in her eye after a bus window was smashed by stone-throwing youths in the village.

Mr Docherty added: "I'm just fed up – it's got to the point where I'm thinking of handing my notice in. We're just sitting ducks.

"We get it all the time, we're taking our lives in our hands. It just seems to be open season when it gets dark, and we don't seem to get help or back-up from anyone.

"They are going to end up killing someone."

Among the group of youths spotted running away from the scene was a boy described as being in his teens, 5ft tall, with a red hat, a light jacket with the letter 'V' on the back and white trainers.

Inspector John McGill, from Dalkeith police station, said: "This could have had devastating consequences."