From Kent police twitter :: Kent Police is urging witnesses to come forward, and at the same time warning motorists to be extra vigilant, following a series of incidents on a Londonbound section of the M20 at the junction with the M26.
Police are concerned that airgun pellets are being fired at moving vehicles and at least one motorist has been injured.
Three reports were made to Kent Police on Tuesday 16 October relating to incidents occurring between 6pm and 7pm, when the motorway was at its busiest with commuter traffic.
In one attack, a Peugeot 206 was struck on the nearside smashing the front passenger window. The shattered glass cut the driver’s face and the pellet hit his arm. He was forced to pull over onto the hard shoulder and call for assistance.
The driver reported that the incident happened as he drove under a bridge half a mile before the turn off to the A20. He states he heard a loud smash but didn’t see what had made the impact.
On the same evening, an Audi A4 was struck on the rear nearside door causing a large dent and another car was struck in the same place, smashing the rear passenger window.
M20 Londonbound near junction 3
The incidents happened on the Londonbound carriageway of the M20 near to junction 3 with the M26 and where a footpath runs parallel and level with the motorway. The footpath and motorway are separated by a three foot high timber rail fence beyond which is a dense area of stinging nettles and brambles.
Chief Inspector Jon Kirby said: ‘We are extremely concerned that someone appears to be firing projectiles at fast moving vehicles. The consequences of this are horrific.
‘Whoever is doing this clearly hasn’t thought through the consequences of his or her actions and needs to be caught immediately. We are focussing all of our efforts on doing this.
‘In the meantime, I urge all motorists using the M26 to be aware of what has taken place and to report any suspicious activity to police.’
Do you have information?
Witnesses or anyone with information about who may be involved is asked to contact Chief Inspector Jon Kirby at Kent Police by calling 101. Alternatively, if you have any information but would prefer to remain anonymous, call Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Bloody muppets.
Police were out on the A5 last night, the by-pass bit, obviously they were after the kids that were watching them from the bridge, so you go under expecting something but there’s bugger all you can do about it really other than be prepared to stop if the screen goes smash.
Not had it on trucks, but when I was driving busses and coaches, it was quite a regular occurance in certain areas to lose windows.
What the ■■■■ is wrong with kids these days
A lack of painful punishment. They understand that.
LR18-8:
What the [zb] is wrong with kids these days
+1
I find it hard to imagine a pellet had done this, unless it is a high powered unrestricted type, I wonder if a good old catapult with steel bearings is to blame, after all one motorist claimed he suffered a large dent from the damage, another thing a pellet wouldn’t normally do ■■
Phantom Mark:
I find it hard to imagine a pellet had done this, unless it is a high powered unrestricted type, I wonder if a good old catapult with steel bearings is to blame, after all one motorist claimed he suffered a large dent from the damage, another thing a pellet wouldn’t normally do ■■
a pellet wouldnt have the weight to do the damage they are talking about. maybe a BB gun or similiar that fires ball bearings?
either way a large dent is a bit strange for such a small object. think about the damage stone chips do. each one does some damage to paintwork but the area affected is very small
Some of the air rifles available these days are powerful enough to kill a fox,so I think it would easily go through a vehicle window.You still don’t need a license for these type of guns.
They should allow Army snipers to practice on them
REPOST FROM OTHER THREAD
The area marked on this map I hold as highly suspect as a shooting platform, primarily at traffic on the M20 rather than the M26.
If this is more eastern europeans with guns, then it’s about time we saw some more police presence in the area before someone gets killed!
It sounds like gravel being thrown at the cab, but on a high-speed road, even a small pellet can shatter a windscreen, and/or cause a passing motorist flat out to crash.
Yes, but pellets do not make large dents, they either penetrate or make tiny dents the circumference of your finger for example, that is why I believe ball bearings from a catapult or as someone else suggested a BB gun is actually the culprit here, either way it needs dealing with in the strongest possible manner before someone gets really hurt.
You have I take into account the speed of the car too.
I pellet meeting a car travelling at 60+mph would easily take the window out
But not large dents lol, the physics do not add up lol
Phantom Mark:
But not large dents lol, the physics do not add up lol
I’m not so sure, at speed it could make a dent.
Plus the difference from ball bearing and pellet isn’t an awful lot it prob was a ball bearing