A GROUP of Venture Scouts jumped off a Worcester-bound train minutes before a gang of children hurled a rock through the window of their carriage.

But those left behind were showered with glass as the missile crashed in.

Jeweller Paul Fillery, who was on his way home from work in Cradley Heath, said the train was passing King George V playing fields in Brickfields when the vandals struck.

"The first thing I noticed was when the glass shattered," said the shaken 31-year-old. "I looked across and saw about five or six children throwing things at the train."

Mr Fillery, of Swinton Close, St John's, was sitting across the aisle from the window.

He was alone in the compartment but revealed how, minutes earlier, a group of Venture Scouts had been by the window.

"They wanted to go to Foregate Street and their leader decided at the last minute to change at Droitwich rather than Shrub Hill, which saved them from being seriously injured," said Mr Fillery.

"If the rock had smashed the next window to the left, it would have gone into the driver's compartment. It's frightening to think what could have happened.

"I pose this question. Do you know where your children were playing that evening? Someone's little angels could have caused a fatal accident."

Other passengers on the train said the young thugs had thrown a hail of missiles in the attack, last Tuesday, but most ricocheted off the carriages.

"It's a miracle no one was hurt," said a Central Trains spokesman. "Throwing stones at trains is so stupid. I don't understand why they do it."

Det Insp John Sidebottom, of West Midlands British Transport Police, said the number of attacks on trains rocketed during the summer holidays.

"We take these matters very seriously and are concerned for people using the railway," he said. "Anyone caught trespassing or throwing stones could be taken to court - they're also putting themselves in very great danger."

British Transport Police are running a campaign against "route crime" - dumping obstructions on tracks, trespassing on lines and vandalising the railway infrastructure - with Railtrack, targeting known trouble hotspots.

The crime causes the equivalent of more than 486 days in delays a year, and costs an estimated £250m.

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