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http://www.surrey.police.uk/news_item.asp?area=12&itemID=4380&division=

Children arrested for M-way stone throwing

The Surrey Police helicopter was deployed yesterday following reports that children were throwing large stones onto the M3 motorway from a bridge near Lightwater Country Park.

Reports were received that the children were targeting lorries and cars passing under the bridge, and a motorist who had broken down on the hard shoulder.

Three youngsters aged 12 and 13 were found by the helicopter after running away and hiding in bushes. They were arrested and have been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Detective Inspector Helen Collins of Surrey Police said: "Last year lorry driver Michael Little died after a teenager threw a brick through his cab window. That teenager, Craig Harman of Frimley, is now serving a six-year prison sentence."

"We cannot stress too strongly just how dangerous it is to throw objects from the motorway bridges. It can, and has, ended in tragedy and I would appeal to parents to impress upon their children the consequences of doing this. Anyone caught throwing objects onto the motorway will be punished."

As if our attention isn't already diverted enough by having to look for cameras and talivans, now we've got to keep checking upwards as well.
For those who don't know the M3, this took place near (or possibly on) junc.3, only about 2 miles or so NE of where Michael Little died. I'm starting to think about alternative routes until the police manage to stamp this behaviour out once and for all. If the kids in the area are making a habit of this I wonder if all the bridges should have high wire mesh barriers put up to prevent this sort of thing. A footbridge just south of junc. 4 is already fully enclosed by mesh, has been for some years in fact. Until then, as Sergeant Esterhaus said, let's be careful out there.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

Yeah, often get cases like this in and around Telford, either on the M54 or the A442 Eastern Primary.
I always glance upward at the bridges as we pass under them, JIC there's some moron up there ready to 'relieve his boredom' by lobbing a missile at you
This is a societal problem, and one that isn't going to be easily sorted until we regain some sort of control of the yob culture and the yob parents that are spreading like a cancer through our towns and cities
Ooopps, - dismounts soapbox

Little bastards!

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-mike[F]
Caught in the rush of the crowd, lost in a wall of sound..

Anywhere else i've been outside of UK has every bridge across m-way usually encased with fine mesh wire like a tunnel although the NEDS in this country would just cut it ! Some discipline needed here...

Andrew