Tram driver injured in Nottingham after brick dropped from bridge

Police searching for a group of people thought to be responsible

Author: Gavin RutterPublished 7th Jun 2024

Police are appealing for witnesses after a tram’s windscreen was smashed by a brick dropped from a bridge.

It’s believed a group of people dropped the brick from the Church Street bridge, Old Basford, into the path of the oncoming tram causing damage to its front windscreen.

The tram driver was covered in glass and sustained minor facial injuries.

Police inquiries are ongoing into the incident and to trace those responsible after it happened around 7pm on Tuesday.

PC Rob Garvey, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was an incredibly scary incident for the driver and the passengers on board.

"Fortunately, the tram wasn’t travelling at its usual full speed when it was struck.

"If it had been then it is likely the driver would have suffered serious injury or worse.

“Reckless behaviour such as this is incredibly dangerous, and it is extremely fortunate that nobody was seriously injured.

“We are determined to track down those who were responsible, and we will not hesitate to take robust action against anyone who endangers the safety of others in this way.

“As we continue with our inquiries, I would encourage young people to think about the consequences of their actions as this sort of behaviour can have serious implications for them as well as others.

“In addition to this, I would also like to appeal directly to parents.

"As we move into warmer weather, I’d ask them to check where their children are in the evenings as well as speaking with them about the importance of making safe and responsible choices and how their behaviour can have a serious impact on themselves and others.”

Trevor Stocker, Head of Operations at Nottingham Express Transit (NET), said: “This is a very serious incident that we are viewing as an attempt to directly undermine the safety of our drivers as well as the passengers on board our trams.

“We’re working closely with the police on this incident and have shared our CCTV footage taken from numerous cameras across our network, to help them in their search for finding those responsible.

“Disruptive and dangerous behaviour like this is simply unacceptable, and we call upon the public to share any information that they might have with the police, to stop the perpetrators from acting again.

"By raising awareness of this and identifying those responsible, we can also help to prevent further incidents from happening in the future.”

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