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| Submit Comments | Comments (18) | « Previous Story | Next Story »

BRICK ATTACK: The bridge over the M62 at Rochdale where hooligans damaged a number of vehicles View gallery (total of 3 images)

Yobs brick motorway traffic

Alice McKeegan

November 17, 2009

A GANG of yobs hurled bricks off a motorway bridge - damaging at least seven vehicles and leaving motorists in fear of their lives.

Terrified drivers had to swerve to avoid crashing after they came under attack from mindless youths throwing bricks from a footbridge over the M62, near Rochdale.

In the space of just 10 minutes, seven vehicles - including a coach - had their windscreens damaged.

Police slammed the young culprits, saying their reckless behaviour had put innocent lives at risk.

Lorry driver John Linley-Parle believes it was a 'miracle' he escaped injury after he was caught up in the frightening drama. The father-of-one, who was driving from Oldham to Leeds, says he was lucky to avoid crashing his 44ft HGV at 60mph after his windscreen was hit by a brick.

He told how he heard aloud bang and was then faced with a terrifying struggle to keep control of his cab.

He said: "Somehow I managed to pull over onto the hard shoulder and couldn't believe my eyes when I started to check out the damage. A number of other cars were on the hard shoulder and they had all been struck too. One of the drivers told me he'd seen a group of lads throwing bricks from the footbridge and my heart sunk when I heard that. The consequences could have been catastrophic - I could have easily been killed and so could the others."

Although the motorists avoided injury, Mr Linley-Parle says the psychological impact of their near-misses will take longer to heal.

He added: "It was absolutely terrifying and I was really shaken up by it. There was a massive bullet-sized hole in my windscreen and there were shards of glass all over the cab. The kids who did this probably don't realise how stupid they were. To me, it's attempted murder. Would they have come to my door and told my wife and 14-year-old son that they'd killed me? Their stupidity could have resulted in multiple deaths - next time the drivers might not be so lucky. Parents need to know what their children are getting up to and take more responsibility. These kids might be bragging to their mates about what they have done and I'd appeal to anyone with information to tell the police."

The shocking incidents took place just yards from the set of the BBC school drama Waterloo Road, which regularly features stories of tearaway teens causing mayhem.

Police are now appealing for witnesses to the incidents, which took place at Junction 20 of the M62 at around 5.30pm on Sunday.

Chief Inspector Alec McMurchy, of the traffic network section, said: "I cannot stress enough just how dangerous it is to throw anything at a moving vehicle. Although a number of cars have been damaged as a result of these mindless individuals, in reality the consequences could have been far greater. Innocent lives were put at risk as a result of these actions and I would urge anyone with information about who is responsible to call police."

| Submit Comments | Comments (18) | « Previous Story | Next Story »

Most recent user comments 18 of 18

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Don't run the town down. If you aren't interested in it, and don't live here, then why comment anyway? If you do live here, then it's not a case of "what do you expect?" and carry on in resigned negativity - get militant and make a pain of yourself with your local politician. Start to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

On this particular incident...I used to get the train home from Manchester every day, and as we slowly pulled out of Victoria and through the badlands in the inner city wasteland that inspired Escape from New York, I don't know if the area qualifies as Harpurhey or Collihurst. Prams, bottles, bricks, bits of kitchen units etc. were all thrown at the train from the foot bridges and streets. This was in the 1980s. I'm sure the in-bred of that vicinity have passed on their genes (assuming they know how) and they will have grand children doing the same by now.

It isn't a Rochdale thing, it's a moron thing. We just need to figure out a reliable way of standing up as a society and, in the style of Ron Doberman, issuing a collective "Oi! Moron! NO!!!".

I'll repeat once more for the hard of thinking. It is not a Rochdale thing.

We need the Moron-catching equivalent of the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Only his van would be replaced with a plane with a giant picture of Katie Price that flies to northern Siberia and throws them out with a parachute and a sack of pot noodle. D.Ashworth, Rochdale 19/11/2009 at 20:00 Ok but rochdale is an overspill from manchester council estates that you mention and victoria train station is in ancoats region of manchester,its allways been a purpose built manchester overspill.

RED2THE CORE,
20/11/2009 at 16:36

D.Ashworth, Rochdale
19/11/2009 at 20:00

It is unfortunate that the do-gooders of this world have made it so, that whatever crime a person/s commit they still have 'Rights'and we the victims should understand this!! Piffle !! If someone was caught breaking the law, local justice was handed out on the spot (if you know what I mean). There should be no rights for anyone who prefers to break the law rather than comply with the laws of the land. Passers by cannot intervene if a youth is abusing an elderly person for fear of being taken to court as a child abuser for giving them a clip round the ear! (which is all a lot of these mouthy,cocky young kids need really!). They know this and thrive on the power it gives them over adults. Even if one of the drivers had been killed as a result of their actions what would have been the outcome?

The Chef, Spotland
19/11/2009 at 16:22

please dont start calling rochdale. it isnt the best place to live and not everyone is good. But there is alot of good, pleasant and well mannered hard working people. You go to any town and you'l have good and bad people. As for these hooligans they should be taught a serious lesson.

Katie Hoyle
19/11/2009 at 12:49

cashsnatch uk,what a moronic thing to say,i suppose we cant expect anything else from you though.Being proud of where you live has nothing to do with it i was just pointing out that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

gary connaughton
19/11/2009 at 09:10

Chef Spotland, Your Comments are what most individuals would like to see, punishment brought back, including the death penalty. Yet not that barbaric antiquated style of hanging. In this day and age we have the technology to terminate evil person with the needle. These young idiots, should be named shamed, and birched publicly. We are soft on all crime, and allow person to walk away with a slap on the wrist.

Cheyenne, Rochdale
18/11/2009 at 18:56

So Gary Connaughton is clearly proud to live in Rochdale jusdging by that comment.

For heavens sake man.....why?????

Get out while you can (if you can afford too :-)and close the doors behind you,preferably with a big padlock on :-)

CASHSNATCHUK, UK
18/11/2009 at 17:55

The chances of them been caught is not good ...Try putting more cameras on the motorway and less cones!... Thankfully none of the drivers or familys were injured and i hope they continue to use the motorway and not live in fear best of luck to u all who had to go though this ordeal because of mindless youths.

gatesofheaven,
18/11/2009 at 16:31

I've had objects dropped off the bridge when I've been driving a minibus with 16 children on. Just imagine the story if it had caused an accident!! Why not put a CCTV camra on the lampost opposite the bridge and catch the mindless youths. It seems to be fair game around here or a kind of sport because you never see anybody punished for it. Where are the PCSO's when you need them?

wickedchop, littleborough
18/11/2009 at 11:17

Redberry, Rochdale may have some scumbags and idiots but compared to Manchester it's crime rate is tiny.i suggest you look in your own back yard once in a while.

gary connaughton
18/11/2009 at 08:25

I wonder if the families involved have got the guts to identify any of them. Wouldn't that be something - some guts.

It's that cocktail of crud....thick, ugly, bored and cowardly and with no values or a guiding real life role model. There's got to be more to life than being like that.

The govt used to do public information films once upon a time. They should put them on in the middle of a soap opera (regardless of channel) and ask parents if they know what their [ugly:thick:bored:cowardly:lacking in values/role model] child is upto each night.

D.Ashworth, Rochdale
17/11/2009 at 21:20

A Chavdale welcoming committee!

MarXPacE, Sheriff Street
17/11/2009 at 21:16

This bridge serves no purpose, nobody would notice if it was closed/demolished other than these yobs.

Iain Monks,
17/11/2009 at 17:39

As you drive by Rochdale if you listen carefully you can hear that banjo tune from the film Deliverance playing. 12 year old kid robbed of his phone, Stealing from charity shops, major store refusing to serve people who openly support our troops and not a single poppy placed on a memorial to the dead soldiers of ww11. Its not long ago that a dying man was robbed of £3 by some drunken scumbag in a park. Its the pits that place.

Redberry, Manchester
17/11/2009 at 14:50

Just yards from the set of the BBC school drama Waterloo Road, which regularly features stories of tearaway teens causing mayhem.

Well what do you expect when this rubbish is classed as entertainment. Children are taught acting like a idiot and behaving like a idiot is cool.

With the court system giving out none sentences.

Do these morons have a brain I doubt it, do they care if anybody was killed by there actions Care about getting caught that’s all .

Local Walker,
17/11/2009 at 12:25

I cant write anything constructive, I'm to angry.........

Ray Stay
17/11/2009 at 12:25

In my opinion, the country should rise up and make sure we have corporal punishment and public humiliation brought back as a deterent for this kind of outragous behaviour! Those drivers and their passengers could have paid the ultimate price for the stupidity of these mindless idiots. It would perhaps encourage those to think twice if they were flogged in public before trying to commit attempted murder.

The Chef, Spotland
17/11/2009 at 12:23

If this is a footbridge close it off until the rest of the neighbourhood dobs these criminals in .When they turn them in tie them to the floor blindfold them and drop bricks on them .Because thats the only way these idiots will understand the enormity of the crime they commited.

selfexiled,
17/11/2009 at 12:07

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