VANDALS forced a bus company to stop running their service through Oakley after missiles were thrown and vehicles damaged in three incidents in the same week. 

Bay Travel said it “could have ended in disaster” after the 4B that runs between Dunfermline and Blairhall had its window smashed and had to be taken off the road. 

Just an hour later, the replacement bus was targeted in the same area and they withdrew the service completely after a third attack a few days later. 

Bay Travel’s service operations manager, Niall Douglas, told the Press: “The first incident was on Monday, December 23, when the 4B bus was on the main road through Oakley. 

“There were a bunch of kids and something was thrown at the window and smashed it. 

“An hour later, we sent a replacement bus out and the same thing happened again, about 50 yards away from where the first bus was hit. 

“We then had another incident on the Friday evening (December 27) where something was thrown. 

“Fortunately, it hit the bodywork and missed the windows but we pulled the service as it could have ended in disaster.” 

He continued: “It happened twice in one evening. Both times, it was the nearside passenger windows in the middle of the bus so it was lucky there wasn’t a passenger sitting there as the first time the window was put right in. The second time the window shattered. 

“If they had hit the driver while he was taking a bus through the middle of Oakley, it doesn’t bear thinking what could have happened. 

“It’s only a minority that’s causing trouble but it’s inconveniencing the people, like the elderly, that rely on the service. It’s them that’s losing out. 

“We don’t make these decisions lightly but the decision to stop running the bus comes down to safety. 

“We’ve been dealing with the community cops down there and, touch wood, it’s not happened again.”

Local councillor Bobby Clelland said: “It’s very disappointing and there’s an obvious concern that this could have caused a serious accident, to the driver and passengers or people walking about in the village. 

“I’m not aware of any issues as to why Bay Travel would be targeted and I’ll be asking some questions. I just hope that’s the end of it. 

“I can see why they withdrew the service, they can’t put their driver and passengers in danger and the impact of these idiots’ actions could be the loss of a vital service to the community.” 

Mr Douglas said: “This kind of thing comes up now and again; Stagecoach had problems in Rosyth and Leven recently, but it’s the first time we’ve had trouble in Oakley. 

“I don’t know if it’s because it was the school holidays or that kids were extra bored. 

“It’s cost us a lot of money. You’re talking about £1,000 just for the glass, then you have to take the bus off the road and there’s the extra fuel cost in getting them changed over. 

“Stagecoach run the service during the day and we run it in the evenings. We’ve been doing it since August. 

“We reinstated it on December 30.” 

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.45pm on Friday December 27, officers were called to a report of stones having been thrown at a bus on Station Road, Oakley. 

“The community policing team have been made aware.”