A BIRTHDAY treat ended in near-disaster when youths threw bricks at a minibus full of party-goers.

A woman was left screaming in agony as shards of glass pierced her eyes, face and chest. But the 25-year-old escaped serious or permanent injury.

The 14 passengers, from Blackpole, had been to Birmingham for the evening to celebrate the 26th birthday of one of their friends.

As they travelled down Cotswold Road at around 3am on Sunday, May 11, two pieces of brick were thrown at the minibus.

"One hit the windscreen and the second came straight through the side window, where I was sitting," said the birthday girl, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.

"The brick struck my friend in the stomach and we were all showered in glass.

"The noise was so loud it sounded like a firework going off. Luckily, the driver kept calm and drove us to safety."

One of her friends, from the Newtown area, escaped serious injury but spent the rest of the morning in A&E at Worcestershire Royal Hospital having glass removed from her eye and chest.

"I just remember screaming with pain," said the woman, who was also too scared of reprisals to be identified.

"I had pain in my eye and there was a little bit of blood on my chest. It was really frightening, but it could have been much worse."

Kieran Travel owner Roger Hooper, who was driving the minibus, said he had spotted two people on the side of the road.

"What would have happened if the brick had gone through windscreen doesn't bear thinking about," said Mr Hooper. "I won't be driving back that way again."

Mr Hooper estimated the damage would cost more than £250 to repair.

But the Blackpole victim said the damage had been more psychological than physical.

"I'm too scared to drive down there on my own any more," she said. "It was definitely a group of kids."

Another Blackpole resident, who also asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said she thought the attack was a "new thing that kids are doing".

"I'm not a policeman, but if this is happening every night, why can't the police stop it."

Worcester police declined to comment on the incident, but asked witnesses to contact them either on 08457 444888 or by calling Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111.