ROWDY school children have been blasted for putting lives at risk and causing chaos in a spate of serious bus vandalism attacks.

Blackburn Transport, which operates school services throughout the area, says it has been forced to take urgent action following a recent rise in incidents.

The catalogue of crimes committed by the teenagers include slashing seats, starting fires, smashing windows and subjecting drivers and other passengers to verbal abuse.

Blackburn Transport traffic and marketing director Doug Nicholson said: "We are speaking to the police about the best ways to tackle the problems.

"We have surrendered one school in the Accrington area because of the level of damage and abuse and the apparent lack of concern of parents. "The worst incident so far has been when youths in Blackburn pushed out a the front window of a double decker and the glass narrowly missed hitting a child in a buggy."

The company claims the vandalism and knock-on effects costs them between £50,000 and £70,000 a year. They are fitting radios to nearly half of their fleet to try and help matters.

Mr Nicholson added: "At the moment we have to rely on drivers reporting incidents from a pay phone or member of the public letting us know. We are also still considering the merits of introducing closed circuit television." Geoff Spencer, of Enfield Travel, Clayton-le-Moors, said he had also been the target of "absolute animals" intent on destruction during term-time school runs. He added: "Things have got better for me recently because I have changed routes but I know how frightening it can be when these children play up.

"Now my major problem is getting the children to wear seat belts." The problems were highlighted by members of East Lancashire public transport liaison committee, held at Burnley Town Hall.

Chris Anslow, of Lancashire County Council surveyors department, reported that teaching aids offering on how to and how not to behave on buses had been given to some schools on trial, and if successful, the scheme could be more widely used.

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