A WOMAN driver was injured when a brick was hurled from a footbridge on to a van.

The missile hit the vehicle's bodywork and bounced through the offside open window, hitting Miss Lorraine Koehler on the shoulder.

Police are now hunting the thugs who threw the brick from the footbridge in Pilkington Way, Radcliffe, near Asda.

Miss Koehler (34), of Bolton Road, Radcliffe, was driving the works van accompanied by two male colleagues when the incident happened last Friday (July 23) at 1.15am.

She said: "I was driving under the bridge with the car window down. Suddenly, the brick hit me on the shoulder after striking the van. It then bounced off me into the road.

"To be honest, I thought I had been shot because of the loud bang and the force of the brick on my shoulder."

Miss Koehler was taken to hospital where she was treated for an injury to her shoulder muscles and tissue.

An off-duty detective, who was travelling in the same direction, stopped and took statements from the occupants.

Police say they are looking for three offenders, two white males, one wearing a beige jacket, and a white female wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to ring Detective Constable Dave Thorpe at Whitefield CID on 856 8248.