Four-year-old showered with glass after yobs throw missiles (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Four-year-old showered with glass after yobs throw missiles in Middlesbrough

5:11pm Sunday 18th November 2012 in News By Joanna Morris

TARGETING CARS: One of the footbridges over the A174 has a sign warning people against throwing objects

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD was showered with glass when yobs threw missiles off a bridge onto her father’s car on Saturday.

The girl was travelling with her father along the A174 when their windscreen was shattered by a brick thrown from an overhead footbridge close to Ormesby Grange Farm, near Middlesbrough.

She was not injured in the incident.

The incident, which happened at around 5pm, was one of a number to be reported to police on the same day. A female driver had to be treated at the James Cook University Hospital after being injured by glass when her blue Ford Fiesta was hit by a missile and another female driver escaped injury when her green Vauxhall Corsa was also targeted.

Police investigating the incidents have said that they are taking them extremely seriously.

Sergeant Lois Speakman, from Eston Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “I would like to send a strong message to those responsible that we will not tolerate these despicable and highly dangerous acts. We will do everything possible to bring you to justice. It has been a frightening ordeal for the victims involved, a small child was covered in glass and it is by luck that nothing more serious happened.”

Police across the region have been investigating several similar incidents over the course of the past few months.

Last week, Durham Police said youths were putting lives of drivers at risk by throwing bricks and breeze blocks from bridges over the A1(M) near Coxhoe, County Durham. CCTV footage had captured two youths throwing items over the bridge. One missile smashed the windscreen of a lorry. On October 4, a vehicle was damaged and another windscreen was smashed when two males threw bricks from the same bridge. On October 8, a lorry driver was left shocked after a traffic cone was thrown at his vehicle.

In September, two buses had their windows cracked in Stockton when youths threw missiles from the town’s Millennium Bridge at moving traffic.

The police are appealing for information in relation to the incidents on Saturday. Contact Cleveland Police on non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.