Service halted at weekend after two attacks on buses

Although services have resumed, the company has warned that any further incidents will result in Arriva's public transport links to Thornley being halted.

Both incidents took place last Friday evening.

In the first attack, a metal bar was thrown through the front windscreen of the number 215 Arriva bus in Thornley.

The second incident happened at about 10pm, at Wingate, when the driver of Arriva's 22 Durham to Hartlepool service was assaulted. A man was later arrested and charged with the attack.

As a result of the Thornley incident, services after 6pm on Saturday and Sunday avoided the village and took a diversionary route via Wheatley Hill.

Yesterday, the company held an emergency meeting to consider its next move.

Following the talks, Liz Esnouf, commercial director at Arriva North-East, said: "We have discussed the situation today and have decided to reinstate services under close monitoring. We have informed the local authority of this decision.''

But she warned: "Should a similar incident occur, we will have no choice but to suspend services.

"We appreciate that this would cause inconvenience. However, the safety of our employees and customers is central to everything we do.''

The weekend incidents prompted local county councillor Morris Nicholls to call for more policing of the area.

"These bus services are vital to Thornley, and what we need is more police on the beat in the area to ensure these things don't happen, and I have written to the chief constable telling him so,'' he said.

At Peterlee Police station, Inspector Paul Harrison confirmed that a man had been arrested and charged regarding the assault on the driver.

And he assured residents that under newly-appointed Sergeant Stephen Hawkes and teams of police and community officers, Thornley, Wheatley Hill and Wingate were being covered comprehensively.

He added that where there were any particular incidents of concern: "We will target them.''