A VAN driver today relived the moment an object hit his windscreen as he drove along the M65.

Michael White, from St Helens, was praised by police after he managed to pull over on to the hard shoulder of the motorway after the incident, near Junction 10 at Burnley.

Mr White, 57, was in the area delivering to the Inland Revenue in Nelson at 11.50am on Thursday when the teenage culprits, who have still not been found, threw the missile from a footbridge.

Today the driver, who runs a courier service, Speedy Gonzales Express, said he would think twice of using the M65 again, and slammed the thugs who could have caused an accident.

Mr White said: "The problem is with this sort of incident it's very hard to catch them. They just seem to melt away and they don't think of the cost. In the worst scenario they could have killed somebody.

"I am going to have to think twice about using the M65 again. I just cannot afford it, I'm trying to scratch a living

" My insurance is nearly £3,000 a year because of the mileage I do. If it goes up again it's going to put pressure on me."

Mr White was in the inside lane of the motorway, in the westbound carriageway, on the return journey of his delivery, when the teenagers struck.

The windscreen was damaged, but luckily not smashed, and Mr White pulled over. He claims the wait for the police at the side of the motorway cost him an afternoon of business, and said the culprits had not thought of the consequences of their actions -- including a repair bill of about £200.