Heather Whitelaw was on her way home on the 226 service with her children Rosie Leigh, three, Levi, five and tiny Angelica when they were showered with broken glass.

Heather, 25, from Bolton on Dearne, said: "We had just got on the bus and when we got to Goldthorpe someone threw something. The children were terrified - there was glass flying all over. Luckily Angelica was in her pram with the rain shield on, otherwise she could have been seriously hurt. It was such a stupid thing to do, someone could have been killed. Levi was very upset by it all and has been too scared to go on buses since it happened."

Heather said the bus driver continued driving on and did not stop until another passenger asked him to.

She said: "I asked if the bus driver was going to call the police but he gave me his phone and asked me to call them myself. I was very surprised to say the least."

A spokesman for Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: "As soon as the incident happened, the driver immediately stopped the bus to check there were no injuries to passengers and moved them to the rear of the vehicle away from any broken glass.

"In the meantime, one of the passengers apparently contacted South Yorkshire Police to report the incident. The driver immediately followed company procedure in reporting the incident to our Barnsley depot who advised him to drop the passengers off at their destination and then bring his bus to the depot."

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident which happened on Friday, November 7 at 8.10pm.