Yobs launched a terrifying attack by throwing stones at a bus travelling from Basildon.

Fortunately, passengers escaped unharmed but the yobs shattered a passenger window and the broken shards of glass fell all over an elderly female passenger.

Darryl Bamsey, 48, from Stanford-le-Hope, was absolutely disgusted by the mindless attack. The lorry driver was on a First bus service from Basildon to Grays last Friday at around 3.05pm.

He was on his way home and he was startled when he heard the window shatter.

He said: “The bus was being driven along Southend Road in Stanford-le-Hope and something, perhaps a brick, smashed the window.

“It was so loud and I was shocked by the noise because I was just sitting on the bus minding my own business. There was an elderly lady sitting next to the window. She was covered in glass, she was in such a state. Thank goodness she wasn’t hurt.

“The bus driver acted in such a professional manner. He quickly pulled the bus over and asked if everyone was OK. He is a credit to the First Bus company.

“I am totally disgusted by the attack, it was mindless and totally uncalled for. There were about a dozen passengers inside and someone could have been seriously hurt.

“The bus was driving at around 30 miles per hour. It’s a pretty busy road and I just thought ‘what if the yobs attacked the front window’? Or what if the driver, who could have been spooked by the attack, had swerved in the road and hit something or someone?”

Steve Smith, operations manager for First bus in Basildon, said: “We had an incident reported on Friday afternoon at about 3pm by one of our drivers who was travelling in service along Southend Road when an object was thrown at the bus causing a side window to shatter. Although passengers were on board, fortunately no injuries were sustained.

“The safety and wellbeing of our staff and customers is paramount and we are assisting the police in apprehending the person responsible for this crime. It is a mindless and dangerous act and also a costly exercise for us to replace windows and repair damaged bodywork on buses that are affected.”