A TRIP for a Mother's Day present nearly cost businessman Cliff Toulmin his life.

The 26-year-old business manager for Richard Cort in Manchester Road, Bury, was driving home on the motorway to Liverpool after visiting the Trafford Centre when a 4ft long steel bar smashed through the rear window of his car and speared the parcel shelf and back seat.

The bar was hurled by yobs from a footbridge overlooking the M62, near Warrington, on Thursday night.

The shock caused Mr Toulmin to struggle to retain control of his day-old Fiat Stilo before he managed to come to to a halt on the hard shoulder.

Mr Toulmin, who only took up the job of business manager atthe Fiat dealership in Bury a fortnight ago, said: "It was very frightening, absolutely terrifying. I'd been making my way home after buying some gifts for my mother at the Trafford Centre.

"It was dark and I had the music on low as I was relaxing. Suddenly, the back window shattered. It was like an explosion or a bullet going through it.

"The steel bar came through and pierced the parcel shelf in the back seat. If it had come through the front windscreen, I would have been wiped out. I did veer a bit but thankfully was able to control the car."

After calling the police, Cliff noticed beer cars and other debris, dropped by the yobs, from the same motorway footbridge.

Cliff, who has a 20-month-old daughter Emily, added: "I just can't comprehend how anyone can do this. These idiots just don't realise the serious consequences of what they're doing. The car had only been registered the day before. In one way I was unlucky, but lucky in the sense that I wasn't hurt.

"I got the back window repaired the day after and I'm using the car again. I still travel the same route back home but I shudder a bit when I pass that same footbridge."