Mindless act could see tragic consequences

It’s a mindless act that could end in tragic consequences – and it is something that no motorist should ever have to contend with while driving on our roads.

At the weekend, police were called to a footbridge over the A690 in Houghton after reports that a gang of teenagers were dropping objects on to traffic below.

Given the road has a speed limit of 50mph, any missile hitting a car windscreen could have a devastating impact.

Thankfully, nobody was injured and there were no reports of any vehicles being damaged.

Unfortunately, those idiots responsible had fled before police could catch them in the act.

Police have now issued a warning about the dangers of throwing objects and are urging parents to speak to their children about the potential consequences of their actions.

But sadly, this sort of appalling conduct seems to resurface all too regularly.

If caught, those responsible should be punished accordingly. But it is also crucial that all parents take responsibility in pointing out to youngsters the potentially horrific consequences such behaviour could have. They have a duty to highlight the grave nature of such incidents, to make them understand it is completely unacceptable.

And to those who know the identities of the youths involved on this occasion, they have a duty to inform the authorities in order to prevent further incidents.

This time we did not have a tragedy on our roads. We may not be so fortunate next time. This kind of behaviour has to stop before it ruins lives.