Cuckmere: Volunteer-run bus company has two buses vandalised

Two buses belonging to Cuckmere Buses had windows smashed, leaving one of the company's small fleet of seven off the road for the time being.

The vandalism happened last Monday in Berwick, between Lewes and Polegate, and was discovered by volunteers at the company the next day.

The company hopes its insurance will cover the bill, which it believes will be in the thousands.

Kevin Fryer believes stones were thrown at the Cuckmere Buses (Image: Cuckmere Buses)

Kevin Fryer, operations director for Cuckmere Buses, said: “I got a call that morning to say some buses had been damaged. I went over and there were stones on the ground. To me, it looked like kids had started chucking stones at the buses.

“Every member of staff is a volunteer. We don’t have any paid members of staff. I have a full time job in addition to being a volunteer and director of a bus company. It’s time and effort over and above what we normally put into it ourselves anyway.

“We are reliant on our services to make a bit of money, as well as grants from local councils and parishes. This is just a smack in the face with all the hard work we put in.

Damage to the other Cuckmere Bus (Image: Cuckmere Buses)

“It’s something we could do without to be honest.”

Four of the company’s seven are kept at the Berwick station carpark, while the others are kept at the Berwick Inn pub across the road.

British Transport Police said despite a “trawl” of CCTV covering the area, the investigation has been closed.

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Kevin added: “One bus is off the road still and the other has had temporary repairs until we get it fully operational.

“Berwick is a very quiet place.

“It just looks like opportunism to me.

The windscreen of one of the buses was cracked (Image: Cuckmere Buses)

“I don’t think it would happen from a football being kicked hard. There is repeated damage from stones being thrown.

“One of the buses has suffered a lot of damage to its doors, side window and windscreen.

“The repair bill will be in the thousands, four figures I expect. We are putting a claim into the insurance company.”