July 11, 2019 4.04 pm This story is over 59 months old

Town centre shock as man attacks bus with ‘garden hoe’

Police are appealing for witnesses

Photo: Juliette Bretan

A man was arrested after allegedly attacking a bus in Horncastle on Thursday morning.

Eyewitnesses reported that a ‘half dressed man’ began whacking the vehicle with a garden hoe just before midday. Police have not yet confirmed the instrument used to cause the damage.

Lincolnshire Police were called the disturbance during a busy lunchtime in the Market Place in Horncastle at 11.27am on Thursday, July 11.

Photo: Juliette Bretan

A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

According to reports, police aimed a stun gun at the man before arresting him.

Eyewitness, freelance journalist Juliette Bretan, who was at the scene, told Lincolnshire Reporter: “The incident was only a few seconds long – a man came running from the direction of Heron towards the buses wielding a hoe, which he smashed into the walls and window of the Brylaine bus.

“The market was quite busy at the time – a few frightened shoppers immediately ran away from the buses into the market place. The man with the hoe then began walking towards the middle of the road – the police came almost immediately with a taser drawn and yelled at him to get to his knees.

“The man was still very vocal at this point; even in the police van, he was hammering on the walls and screaming profanities.

Photo: Juliette Bretan

“By then, a crowd of shoppers had assembled to watch the action as the man was driven away. Following this, the bus driver accepted passengers again and also left.”

Police are appealing for witnesses who saw the incident or captured it on their mobile phone.

Photo: Juliette Bretan

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting incident number 140 of July 11.