Kids smash bus window after attack on train

PRIMARY school children who smashed a train window with a brick as it approached a station are believed to have struck again by attacking a bus nearby.

A bottle was thrown at a Lothian bus travelling along Milton Road on Sunday, breaking a window on the vehicle’s upper deck and narrowly missing a female passenger.

The incident followed the attack on a train when the brick was thrown by children aged around ten over the railway line in the Milton Road/Christian Crescent area.

The brick smashed the train’s cab window as it approached Brunstane station on Tuesday, just missing the driver. Police believe the incidents are linked, and officers are carrying out inquiries in the local area.

No-one was injured in the attacks, but British Transport Police (BTP) said “the consequences of these stupid boys’ actions could have been so much worse”.

The No 44 bus service was travelling east along Milton Road at around 7pm on Sunday when it was struck by the bottle. Bill Campbell, operations director at Lothian Buses, said: “The safety of our passengers and staff is always of paramount importance. Incidents of this nature are very unfortunate and always of concern.

“We will, of course, fully co-operate with police to ensure they have any information they require.”

Tuesday’s train attack saw a brick hit the cab window on the 8.39pm service between Newcraighall and Glenrothes shortly after 8.40pm.

BTP said that two boys, who were both described as having blond hair and wearing dark clothing, were seen to trespass on the line at the station, before one of them threw the object. One of the boys was riding a bike at the time.

A police spokesman said: “These mindless acts of vandalism and aggression resulted in both a train and bus sustaining damage and it is pure luck no-one was injured.

“We believe the same individuals are responsible for the damage to both vehicles and would ask anyone who can assist with our investigation to contact police.”

Councillor Paul Edie, the city’s community safety leader, said: “These are both disgraceful acts of criminal vandalism and I would urge anyone who has information on the incidents to contact Lothian and Borders Police.”

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