PASSENGERS had to be transferred from a Thamesdown Transport bus when stones being thrown on Queens Drive broke a window and put it out of service.

Nobody travelling on the number 13 bus on Tuesday afternoon was hurt in the incident, which is the latest in a series over recent months of youths hurling stones at passing buses.

Last September, buses travelling through Pinehurst had to be diverted after three incidents in one day, in a measure the company said it only takes under ‘extreme circumstances’.

The previous month, buses were pelted with stones in Cheney Manor Road and Pinehurst Road.

The incidents took place between August 19 and 28, and a 14-year-old and two 10-year-olds were questioned by police in relation to the offences.

The company has said it has reviewed CCTV footage which captures the incident and passed it on to police.

Peter Oliver, commercial director of Thamesdown, said they took any report of objects being thrown at their vehicles very seriously.

“A nearside window was damaged on a Service 13 bus whilst it was travelling down Queens Drive,” he said.

“We received reports of a youth throwing a stone at the bus shortly after it left Sussex Square on Tuesday afternoon.

“Fortunately the window did not shatter and none of our customers were injured.

“However, throwing objects at buses is a very dangerous act that we take very seriously and we will be passing on CCTV footage showing the incident happening to the police.

“We took the bus out of service and provided a replacement as quickly as possible, although unfortunately this incident did mean we were unable to operate the 16.17 Service 13 from Fleming Way.

“The window has already been fixed for a little under £160, so there should be no further inconvenience for our customers due to this.”

A spokeswoman for Wiltshire Police said: “We were called at 4.23pm on Tuesday to Queens Drive in Swindon following a report that an object, believed to have been a stone, had been thrown at a window of a bus causing the window to crack.

“Anyone who saw the incident or anybody acting suspiciously in the area at the time should call police on 101.”