A TAXI driver was lucky to avoid serious injury or even death, say police, after stone throwing hoodlums targeted his cab.

Geoff Charlton's windscreen was cracked by a stone thrown by a gang as he drove through east Middlesbrough.

"These attacks are the actions of mindless people and could lead to someone being seriously injured or even killed," said acting Inspector Glynn Bass from East Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Policing.

"What may seem good fun at the time for these kids will not be such fun when we arrest them and put them before the courts to face the consequences. This has got to stop before someone gets seriously hurt.'' The police officer added: "I would urge these youngsters to stop doing this stupid act and appeal to parents to talk to their kids about the potential tragic consequences involved with throwing stones at moving vehicles.

"I would also urge the kids that are there at the time, but not actually throwing anything to let me know who the culprits are."

Mr Charlton was driving along Ormesby Road at 7pm on Tuesday when he spotted a group of half-a-dozen youths near a Kwiksave store. As he drove passed the gang, one of them threw a stone which cracked the windscreen.

The 61-year-old said: "If I had swerved it could have been into something coming the other way.'' As the cabbie got out of his car, he saw one of the children aged between 11 and 14 still had a stone clutched in his hand.

Mr Charlton said: "I just stared at him and he dropped the stone, which must have been the size of a cricket ball. I chased after him, but could not catch him.'' Cleveland Police has revealed there have been nine other stone throwing incidents reported on the same stretch of road in the past month.

Acting Inspector Bass said: "I'm aware that in other parts of the country this type of behaviour has caused at least one fatality and we don't want it to happen here."

A 12 year-old, who was arrested following an earlier incident on the same road, told officers he did it to encourage the driver to stop and chase him.

Anyone who witnessed Tuesday's stone throwing or has any information about youths throwing stones at vehicles is asked to contact Act Insp Glynn Bass on the Neighbourhood Police Line 01642 302900 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.