SABOTEURS are being blamed for putting two bus companies' vehicles off the road and creating havoc for scores of passengers.

Northern Blue Buses and Blackburn Borough Transport say they are being targeted by vandals who smash windows and cause thousands of pounds worth of damage.

In the latest incident, Oswaldtwistle-based Northern Blue Buses, who have been operating services connecting Blackburn, Accrington and Darwen in competition with Blackburn Transport for three weeks, had five of their fleet of 11 buses put off the road after an attack last night.

The owner of the company says the vandals targeted the most expensive windows and those which ensured the vehicles could not be used. The attack happened at the West End Business Park, Oswaldtwistle, and forced the company to cut back services today.

It is the second attack Northern Blue have suffered in the last fortnight. On the previous occasion, at the end of November, they had four buses put out of action.

Managing director boss Philip Beaumont said: "They have chosen the windows which are the most difficult and expensive to replace. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing.

"They picked nine windows on five buses which are an awkward size and shape to replace and it will cost us £3,000 to do so." Michael Morton of Blackburn Transport, which operates services in Blackburn, Darwen and the surrounding area, said specific windows had been targeted: "This is certainly a problem we are noticing more and more. We are averaging three, four or sometimes five windows per week broken, all at great cost and all putting our buses off the road.

"We have had eight buses damaged in three weeks."

East Lancashire Motor Services, based across the road from Northern Blue, which operates coach services across the county, also suffered damage to the back windows of a number of their coaches in the attack.

Company owner John Haydock said: "This will mean coaches off the road and drivers having to be laid off. The repairs will cost us a fortune."

Police are investigating the latest incidents.

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