A bus company has cancelled two services through a housing estate after its buses were shot at.

Stagecoach has stopped bus drivers going into Ringmer Broyle Estate, Lewes, after 6.30pm since two of its vehicles had windows shattered during an evening shift.

The company, which has a depot in Lewes, believes a powerful air rifle may have been used.

Some of the missiles that hit the buses on Tuesday passed through one passenger window and out through another on the opposite side of the vehicle.

Stagecoach cancelled the services on routes 26 and 28 for the rest of the week. They are unlikely to be resumed in the near future.

The firm's managing director Andrew Dyer said the suspected shootings were the latest in a series of attacks on buses on the estate.

He said: "The last thing Stagecoach wants to do is inconvenience our customers by cancelling services but we cannot put them or our drivers at further risk from these attacks.

"The police are working hard to find the culprits so we can confidently reinstate the evening buses."

Stagecoach's operations manager in Lewes, Rosemary Blair, said the bus drivers involved heard shots before each vehicle had two reinforced glass windows shattered.

She said: "I don't know if it was a pellet gun or a .22 but it went through one window and out the other. It must have been quite powerful. No one was hurt.

"This kind of thing has been going on on the estate with stones and eggs being thrown at the bus. We have windows broken all the time.

"The buses will not be running after 6.30pm for the foreseeable future. We want to get residents together to try to solve the problem."

Lewes police Inspector Jeff Woodall said it was difficult to confirm what had caused the damage.

He said: "It could be a pellet gun or it could be a catapult with a ball bearing - that could go through reinforced glass. It might even be people inside the bus throwing something.

"Cancelling the services is a decision for the company. I had a meeting with the staff and they decided it was best to stop them this week. What I have done is increase the police presence in the area with high visibility patrols by regular police officers and police community support officers. This is to reassure the public that crimes of this nature will not be tolerated."

Mr Woodall appealed for witnesses or anyone with information about people seen with air rifles, catapults or stones to call the police on 0845 6070999.