Police warning after 'teenagers' spotted throwing objects from bridge onto the A690 at Houghton

Police have confirmed that they received a report late on Sunday afternoon (April 25) that a group of teenagers had been throwing objects from the footbridge onto the A690 below.

Officers say they have received no reports of any vehicles being damaged in the incident – with those responsible having already left the area when police arrived at the scene.

The road below has a speed limit of 50mph and objects hitting cars from above have the potential to cause life-threatening injuries.

It happened just a day after an ambulance technician in the West Midlands died when his vehicle’s windscreen was struck by an object.

Police have 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.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “We can confirm we received a report on late Sunday afternoon that teenagers had been throwing objects off a footbridge onto the A690 at Houghton.

"We have not had any reports of vehicles being damaged and when officers attended the area those responsible had already left. Behaviour of this nature is completely unacceptable and can be incredibly dangerous.

"Not only could it cause significant damage to vehicles but it could also cause a driver to lose control and cause a collision.

"The consequences of that are unthinkable and we would ask parents to speak to their children about exactly what could happen if they throw objects onto a busy motorway.”

The teenagers actions come just days after an ambulance technician died on Saturday morning when his ambulance was struck by an object as he responded to a 999 call in Herefordshire.

Jeremy Daw, known to friends as Jack, was in the front passenger seat at the time, had only returned to the West Midlands Ambulance Service in January this year, having retired as a paramedic in November 2020.

West Mercia Police said they were “satisfied” that the incident was not the result of a “deliberate act”.

Members of the public who may have information relating to the incident in Houghton on Sunday are asked to contact police by calling 101 quoting log 803 25/04/21.

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