Bus driver attacked in racist assault in Littleborough

Kamran Mahmood

Youths smashed a bus driver in the face with a bottle in an unprovoked racist attack.

33-year-old Kamran Mahmood had to have 20 stitches in his face after the attack, which happened in Littleborough.

Detectives have released pictures of Kamran's injuries in the hopes they will encourage people to come forward and help trace the offenders.

At about 7.00pm on Saturday 10 May 2008 Kamran was parked at the bus terminus on Drake Road in his empty bus.

Three young men, two of whom were on bikes, then approached the driver's window and started shouting racist abuse at him.

Cameron tried to close the window and ignore them, but the offenders opened it again.

One of the three then threw a glass bottle through the open window, hitting the victim in the face.

The force of the throw knocked out one of the victim's teeth, and caused a large gash across his lip that has had to be stitched back together.

His face has become badly swollen as a result of the attack and he is struggling to speak.

After attacking him the three young men rode away.

One of them, the one who threw the bottle, is described as a young white man, aged about 16, 5ft 6in tall, slim with short fair hair. He was wearing a white t-shirt at the time of the offence.

Detective Constable Heidi Edge from Rochdale CID said: "The viciousness of this attack is totally shocking. The victim's injuries are pretty horrific, and he can't talk properly because of them. We are determined to arrest those responsible, but we need your help.

"We are fairly sure that there are people out there who know who did this but who are too scared to talk to us. We can protect your identity and no-one need ever know you have spoken to us, but you have to do the right thing and come forward, or live with knowing that the person who has permanently scarred this man has got away with it."

Area Inspector Lin Houldershaw said: "The boy responsible for this has shown a capacity for violence that most young people would never dream of committing. It would not be fair to suggest all the young people in the area are like him, because they aren't.

"This man was just trying to do his job, and did not deserve this. We are working with detectives to solve this crime, and hope that the people who we know witnessed this attack will find the confidence to come forward and speak to us. We will treat your information as sensitively as possible, but you must help us."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Rochdale CID on 0161 856 4591, the neighbourhood policing team on 0161 856 4556 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.