A YOUNG passenger missed injury by inches when an air rifle pellet was fired at a bus travelling through Dines Green, Worcester.

Boomerang Bus Company boss Nick Warner believes someone will be killed unless the attacks, which have been frequent in the area for the past six weeks, stop.

Buses have been pelted with bricks and eggs and the company has been struggling to recruit drivers since news of the attacks broke.

In the latest incident, driver Adrian Tipping said a pellet hit the window on his side, narrowly missing one of his passengers as he drove in Spenser Road, Dines Green.

"The pellet was aimed at the bus," said the 43-year-old. "It didn't get into the bus but hit the side window, making a mark and a big crack. There were around three or four passengers on the bus at the time. It just missed a young male passenger, who was shaken up and got off."

Mr Tipping, who has worked for the firm for two-and-a-half years, immediately contacted police about the incident, which happened at around 11pm.

"I felt shaken and shocked," said Mr Tipping, who is married and lives near Malvern. "I can't say if the shot came from inside a house or from outside."

Mr Warner said there was only one bus covering the Dines Green area at night.

"People there are shooting themselves in the foot because, if a vehicle is damaged, we can take a bus out of service and even take it off another night," he said.

"The safety of our drivers is of paramount importance. I wouldn't expect them to do a route if they didn't feel safe. Every day we're getting bricks and eggs thrown at us.

"Now somebody's shooting at my drivers. I can't let them be exposed to that. Somebody is going to get killed. At the moment it's bad enough trying to recruit driving staff."

Worcester police confirmed they received a phone call just after 11pm last Monday.

"We had the report and are making enquiries," said a police spokeswoman. "We're liasing with the bus company."