Vandals will be punished warn transport bosses

Bus chiefs have warned vandalism will not go unpunished after a teenager caused thousands of pounds worth of damage when he torched a double decker.
The interior of the fire-damaged busThe interior of the fire-damaged bus
The interior of the fire-damaged bus

The 15-year-old boy has now been given an 18 month community order after appearing at Blackpool Youth Court – a punishment which could seen him cleaning the resort’s buses and trams.

He started a blaze on the top deck of a bus which caused extensive damage to the interior.

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Blackpool Transport managing director Jane Cole said: “This sentence sends out a clear message to people who set out to damage our buses and trams.

“This was a very serious incident and it could have resulted in loss of life.

“My primary concern is for the safety of our staff and customers and we will continue to seek suitable prosecution against any individual who compromises safety.”

The incident, which happened at around 6.30pm on January 23 on Blackpool Old Road, near Lawnswood Avenue, was among a number of recent attacks suffered by Blackpool Transport.

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Ms Cole added: “We’ve had a high level of unprovoked incidents recently against our vehicles and staff, and we now have a zero tolerance policy.

“We are working with our partners in the Crown Prosecution Service and police and we will continue in this vein until it stops.”

The youth will also be tagged and put under curfew between 9pm and 6am each day.