A WOMAN was left with injuries to her face after yobs hurled a rock at a packed bus - shattering a window.

The incident happened as the 73A Ensignbus was going along Brentwood Road, Chadwell St Mary.

Four children, including two babies, narrowly escaped injury thanks to the quick thinking of a man who shielded them from the flying fragments of glass.

Paul Dickson, customer services manager for Ensignbus, said the incident could have been much worse.

He said: “It was extremely lucky that babies and young children were not injured this time but these youths need to realise that this kind of mindless criminal damage can seriously hurt people or even kill someone.”

At 7.40pm on Wednesday, January 22, as the bus passed Tesco Express garage on Brentwood Road, one youngster, who was with approximately 10 others, threw a rock through a lower deck window of the busy bus.

One woman was left with a cut on the side of her cheek.

Mr Dickson said: “There were also two babies in a pram, a child in a buggy and an older child near the window who through the quick thinking of one of the fathers, were shielded from the glass by him.

“The whole situation could have been much more severe if it wasn’t for that.

“We would appeal to any members of the public who may have seen the group of youths or the incident to report any information police help stop it happening again.”

Contact PC Jeff Sadler, or his colleagues at Grays, on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.