Two young girls arrested for endangering motorway drivers

Surrey police have arrested two nine-year-old girls today following a spate of incidents where missiles have been thrown from a bridge onto motorway traffic.

Police said officers were "appalled" when they attended a recent incident on the M25 near Merstham following a report of a brick being thrown off a motorway bridge. The two girls responsible were caught on camera.

The incident happened on Sunday May 11 when a motorist reported that a brick had been thrown off a footbridge over the M25, smashing his windscreen.

The two girls involved were quickly traced and taken home. However, no prosecution is possible because they are under the age of criminal responsibility.

The incident comes less than two months after a lorry driver was killed as a result of similar activity on the M3 at Camberley.

In the first four months of 2003 there has been an average of 26 incidents a month, twice as high as in any of the last three years.

Chief Inspector Mark Clark, Strategic Roads Unit, said: “This really has to stop now before more people are killed or maimed. I appeal to parents of children who live within easy travelling distance of a motorway, please make sure your children are not participating in such a dangerous activity.

“There is always a danger of copycat incidents but we must warn everybody of the tremendous dangers being caused to innocent motorists by this activity.

“We are paying special attention to those areas where offences are most frequent. Many areas are covered by CCTV and we will use this to support prosecutions for endangering life. I warn both parents and their children who engage in this activity that prosecution for this very serious offence will always be our objective.”

The number of incidents of objects being thrown off bridges over motorways and A roads in Surrey has increased to 205 in the first four months of 2003, compared to 163 in the year 2002, 167 in 2001 and 89 in 2000.

(GMcG)