INCIDENTS of vandals throwing bricks and masonry on to rail tracks and roads could increase with longer hours of daylight.

Police issued the warning after two incidents on a South Tyneside rail line.

In the first incident, vandals threw bricks through the window of an EWS freight train, hitting the driver on the shoulder. The man, who lives in the Newcastle area, was unhurt.

The thugs carried out the attack at Boldon west junction, near Brockley Whins station, as the train was returning from Tyne Docks to Newcastle.

Hours later, on Tuesday evening, broken bricks were thrown at a passenger train travelling towards Newcastle, to the west of Brockley Whins.

No one was hurt, but an elderly woman passenger was showered with glass.

Tanker driver Bob Atkinson, 52, of Normanby, Teesside, escaped injury when vandals threw a brick through his windscreen, as he drove on the A66 near Middlesbrough, last week.

"Thankfully, the glass held firm or I wouldn't be here today," he said.

l Six youngsters are being interviewed in connection with rail track incidents in South Tyneside this week.