A FATHER has spoken of his outrage that an apparent game of hurling missiles at passing cars could have ended in tragedy for his family.

Paul Cornish was driving home to Chilton, in County Durham, with his youngest son, Jack, when a lump of earth was thrown at his Volkswagon Golf Plus.

It missed his windscreen but the force was so great that it smashed the offside wing mirror, frightening ten-year-old Jack who was a front seat passenger.

It was all the more alarming for the boy because he has Asperger's syndrome so struggles to understand the world around him.

Mr Cornish, 42, a zone leader at Tallent Automotives in Newton Aycliffe, said: “It was a shock to me and Jack panicked, he was taken aback and disturbed for a while. I was really angry.”

Mr Cornish and Jack had been in one car while his wife, Carole, and other son, Andrew, 14, drove home separately after shopping.

The incident happened as he headed northbound on the A167, between Newton Aycliffe and Rushyford.

It had shocking similarities to an incident almost two years ago when some family friends had their windscreen smashed by a bottle, thrown at their vehicle on the same stretch of road.

Mr Cornish said: “Whoever is doing this needs to take a look at themselves because they could kill someone."

Police are appealing for information about the incident, which happened at around 6.20pm on Thursday, March 28.

PC Jamie Rielly, of Spennymoor police, said: “Obviously this could have had grave consequences and could have been much more serious.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Rielly on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.