Vandals launch bricks at lorries and cars from Portsmouth footbridge across A27

LORRY drivers have described the horrifying moment they came inches from death as yobs launched a ‘hail of bricks’ at their vehicles from a footbridge over the A27.
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The incident saw a car and three lorries suffer smashed headlights, dented bonnets, and cracked windscreens as they travelled westbound along the M27 on to the A27.

Yobs on the footbridge over the A27 connecting Cosham and Hilsea threw the items between 6.30pm and 7pm on Monday.

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One driver reported seeing another stagger from his cab covered in blood following the dangerous attack.

Yobs threw bricks over the Cosham footbridge over the M27/A27 that caused damage to passing lorries. Pictured: Bob Geater, a driver for E Conroy Transport, needed to repair his vehicle in Fareham following the attack. Pictured near his damaged lorry. Picture: Habibur RahmanYobs threw bricks over the Cosham footbridge over the M27/A27 that caused damage to passing lorries. Pictured: Bob Geater, a driver for E Conroy Transport, needed to repair his vehicle in Fareham following the attack. Pictured near his damaged lorry. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Yobs threw bricks over the Cosham footbridge over the M27/A27 that caused damage to passing lorries. Pictured: Bob Geater, a driver for E Conroy Transport, needed to repair his vehicle in Fareham following the attack. Pictured near his damaged lorry. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Bill Baker, from Waterlooville, was driving a Mercedes Actros cab and trailer for parcel service DPD when the ‘carnage’ was unleashed on his 18-wheeler.

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The 62-year-old said: ‘There was an almighty explosion.

‘Five bricks hit the glass and the bonnet.

Damage inflicted to a lorry as it drove under a footbridge across the A27.Damage inflicted to a lorry as it drove under a footbridge across the A27.
Damage inflicted to a lorry as it drove under a footbridge across the A27.

‘Cars and lorries were swerving all over the place, glass shattered all over me.

‘I was driving a 40-tonne truck – they could have killed me.’

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Without a hard shoulder along the stretch of road, Bill was forced to stop in the outside lane – where he was soon joined by another lorry driver who had been injured by a barrage of bricks.

Bill said: ‘Another driver pulled up behind me, and when he got out he was covered in blood.

21/1/20

Yobs threw a load of bricks over the Hilsea footbridge over the M27 that caused damage to passing lorries.

Pictured: Damage done to Bob Geater's lorry. 
Picture: Habibur Rahman21/1/20

Yobs threw a load of bricks over the Hilsea footbridge over the M27 that caused damage to passing lorries.

Pictured: Damage done to Bob Geater's lorry. 
Picture: Habibur Rahman
21/1/20 Yobs threw a load of bricks over the Hilsea footbridge over the M27 that caused damage to passing lorries. Pictured: Damage done to Bob Geater's lorry. Picture: Habibur Rahman

‘He had been hit in the face.

‘It was awful.’

Bill, who served in the army as an instructor for more than 20 years, has driven HGVs for 18 years – but has been left so shaken by the incident he is considering early retirement.

Carnage unleashed on lorries
Caption: Damage inflicted to a lorry as it drove under a footbridge across the A27.Carnage unleashed on lorries
Caption: Damage inflicted to a lorry as it drove under a footbridge across the A27.
Carnage unleashed on lorries Caption: Damage inflicted to a lorry as it drove under a footbridge across the A27.
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He said: ‘This is the first time anything like this has happened, but I have always worried about it when I saw people about on the bridge.’

Another lorry driver, Bob Geater, reported seeing three figures in grey tracksuits and hoodies on the bridge moments before his Scania truck came under attack.

The E Conroy Transport driver, from Waterlooville, said: ‘When I saw the figures on the bridge, I thought they were trouble – then there was a hail of bricks and stones pounding on my lorry.

‘I’m absolutely fuming – it was attempted murder.’

The 45-year-old was forced to have one of his headlights fixed at a garage in Fareham – where he was joined by another Scania driver, from Churchill Freight Services, who had endured a similar attack.

Bob said: ‘I couldn’t believe it.’

Yobs threw a load of bricks over the Hilsea footbridge over the A27 that caused damage to passing lorries. Pictured: Damage done to Bob Geater's lorry. 
Picture: Habibur RahmanYobs threw a load of bricks over the Hilsea footbridge over the A27 that caused damage to passing lorries. Pictured: Damage done to Bob Geater's lorry. 
Picture: Habibur Rahman
Yobs threw a load of bricks over the Hilsea footbridge over the A27 that caused damage to passing lorries. Pictured: Damage done to Bob Geater's lorry. Picture: Habibur Rahman
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The dad-of-two said the situation could have been much worse, as his six-year-old daughter could have been on-board with him.

He said: ‘Two weeks ago I had my six-year-old daughter with me in the cab.

‘It was her first time with me in the lorry. She could have been blinded.’

Police have so far received reports of four vehicles being damaged in the attacks last night, with two boys reportedly being spotted on the bridge at the time.

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A spokesman from Hampshire Constabulary said: ‘We received reports four vehicles being damaged by objects thrown from a bridge.

‘Three lorries and one car had their windscreens damaged by the objects.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious or who was driving on the road between 6.30pm and 8.30pm and has a dash cam in their vehicle is asked to call 101, quoting incident 512 of January 20.