FOUR boys from a Ryedale school have admitted their part in an incident in which almost caused a road accident.

The pupils, from Lady Lumley's School, in Pickering, have all been disciplined for their part in the incident in which a gobstopper was thrown against a car windscreen.

The incident, on September 20, left the driver, Otley town councillor Nigel Francis, shaken. The school's deputy head, Trevor Boag said the boys had been disciplined by their parents and reported to North Yorkshire County Council's passenger transport office.

"The investigation has taken some time - with the help of the parents I hope that the boys have learned a vital lesson," he said.

Mr Francis was travelling home from Scarborough along the A170 with his wife and two-year-old son when a missile hit his windscreen.

"I slammed on the brakes and it was a good job there was no one behind me otherwise there could have been a nasty accident," he said after the incident.

Though the missile did not shatter his windscreen, he reported the incident to police in Pickering.

"I saw a red double decker bus pass me just before my car was hit," said Mr Francis. An investigation was launched at the school - which uses a red double decker school bus - and the culprits were quickly identified.

Mr Boag said: "The 13-year-old boy who dropped the missile, an aniseed ball, from the top-deck window of the bus, has written a letter of apology to the motorist and the bus company.

"North Yorkshire County Council reserves the right to withdraw any pupil's bus pass and the right to travel if a pupil persistently misbehaves.

"The school community is regularly reminded to follow the Code of Conduct on the school bus in the interest of pupil's health and safety.

"We will always act with the help of parents to ensure that any misbehaviour is punished."

Updated: 11:36 Tuesday, October 09, 2001