Police warning over objects thrown at vehicles

Police in Hampshire said incidents in which young people have thrown bricks from bridges over motorways were “incredibly dangerous” and could lead to loss of life. The force said it had received a number of reports of people being seen on a footbridge over the M271 throwing items at moving vehicles.

In one incident, dashcam footage from a Meachers Global Logistics lorry showed a missile smashing the windscreen of the artic inches from the shocked driver’s face last month.

The HGV driver pulled over before the Redbridge roundabout in front of another lorry that had also been struck by a brick. Hampshire police said in another incident, a lorry transporting cars had stones thrown at it causing damage to three of the vehicles it was carrying.

A police spokeswoman said: “This kind of behaviour is incredibly dangerous to motorists and can not only cause damage, but could also result in serious injury or even death. Officers from Southampton West neighbourhood policing team are carrying out increased patrols in the area to keep people safe, identify offenders and prevent further incidents.”

Bob Terris, Meachers chairman, said:  “For many years now we have had incidents on motorways like the M3 for example, and someone was killed some time ago. It’s something that needs to be addressed; bridges should not be left open, they should be sealed off.”