Bristol MetroBus shattered with driver inside in Portway attack

An M1 Metrobus was attacked in Bristol – with the driver inside – leaving the passenger doors shattered.

The vehicle was targeted in the early hours of Saturday 9 April on the Portway.

The driver of the bus was on board when the attack took place but managed to escape unharmed.

Jimmy Summerville, the general manager for HCT in the South West, said it was fortunate nobody has hurt.

He said: "This was the second incident we've had on the Portway in two months.

"Luckily the driver was coming back to the depot with no passengers on board as the out of service sign was on but this is not something I expected any of my staff to go through.

"I feel that someone is going to get seriously injured so we have engaged with the police and the local authorities to see what we can do to deter this."

The impact smashed the passenger doors and it is believed the culprit was stood far away from the vehicle when an object was thrown.

It is not yet clear what was used to cause the damage but CCTV footage is currently being reviewed by Bristol Community Transport and the local authorities.

Since January, there have been nine bus offences – including vandalism on public transport – in areas such as Inns Court and Bradley Stoke.

In 2021, there were reports of rocks being thrown at buses although the cause of the damage in this case has not yet been identified.