Trentbarton is calling on local residents to help prevent further acts of vandalism after its buses were targeted over the weekend by stone throwers near the Nottinghamshire border. On Saturday, July 1, a window of an Ilkeston flyer bus was smashed at around 6:50pm.
Other buses from the operator were also targeted, with more objects being thrown at buses. Trentbarton had to divert from a particular part of the route from 7pm due to the incidents.
However, on Sunday, July 2, there were further attempted attacks on the buses during the evening. There were customers onboard these buses, but nobody has been injured.
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All of the incidents took place over the weekend around Beauvale Drive in Cotmanhay, near Ilkeston. Two buses have needed repairs carrying out and have had to be taken off the road for some time.
Derbyshire Constabulary is aware of the incidents and is investigating what happened. They are working alongside trentbarton’s local operations team.
These events all come seven months after a previous spate of objects being thrown at buses, as three trentbarton buses were damaged last December. A trentbarton spokesperson said: “If this type of behaviour continues, we may be forced to divert our buses.
"We urge anyone who can help identify those responsible to come forward. We know the community in Cotmanhay values it bus services and we received overwhelming support from the local community last time we had a spate of this mindless and selfish behaviour.
“So, we are calling on them once again to help the Police to prevent such reckless acts.”
It comes after previous incidents were reported in the area last year. Trentbarton buses stopped serving part of Cotmanhay in December after young yobs struck.
