Driver injured in armed attack

The bus driver was struck by two armed youths

A bus driver has suffered a head injury after being pistol whipped during an armed robbery in north Belfast.

The attack happened shortly after 1530 BST on Tuesday near the Oldpark Road when two youths boarded the bus and demanded money.

It is understood the bus driver had just let a passenger off the bus when he was attacked.

One of the robbers struck the driver over the head with a handgun after he handed over the money.

It is just another incident in a long litany of attacks on bus drivers

John Coffey
Union spokesman

The youths made off in the direction of Ballysillan.

Union spokesman John Coffey said it was not the first time this kind of attack has happened.

"This is totally unacceptable," he said.

"It is just another incident in a long litany of attacks on bus drivers, people who are just doing an ordinary day's work for all of the community.

'Pointless'

"A bus driver is an easy target.

"One of the things we should probably be looking at is having systems like they have in other European cities where the money the bus driver collects goes straight into a vault so that nobody can get at the money.

"That may give the message that it is pointless to rob buses because there is no money there."

One of the youths is described as 5ft 10ins tall, who was wearing a hooded top and had a red, white and blue scarf around his face.

The other attacker was 5ft 5ins tall and was wearing a white hooded top and dark woollen hat.

Police at Antrim Road have appealed for any information on the attack.