BUS services have resumed in a troubled area of York plagued by attacks on vehicles.

First confirmed that the Number 4 service was again stopping at Cornlands Road, Acomb - but revealed that it had been forced to divert buses from the area for a second time because of an alleged shooting scare.

The Evening Press reported earlier this month how vehicles were initially routed away from the trouble spot for four days after a driver was injured as he approached a stop.

Police believe a pellet gun was fired by youths, and they raised fears the incident could have been far more serious, if the driver had mounted the kerb and hit a pedestrian. Bus chiefs today revealed that the night after normal service resumed in Cornlands Road another shooting scare was reported and services were diverted yet again.

Peter Edwards, First's commercial manager, said services were now back to normal, as problems appeared to have died down. He said: "The first incident was on a Wednesday night and it was decided to take the service off the road while we had a series of meetings with the police and assessed the situation.

"We went back to Cornlands Road the following Monday (September 6), but on the Tuesday there was an alleged shooting. We stopped the service in that area for the evening as we investigated."

Mr Edwards said a driver reported seeing a group of youths and one armed with what appeared to be a pellet gun.

The driver also reported hearing what may have been a pellet hitting the back of the bus, on Cornlands Road, but he could not be certain. After the complaint was investigated and safety risks were evaluated, a decision was made to restore the full service.

Mr Edwards said: "It's a matter of concern for us that by curtailing the service we are preventing the majority of law-abiding passengers from using it."

But he stressed that incidents like this were relatively rare in York.

News of the service returning to Cornlands Road comes after buses on the nearby Chapelfields estate were rerouted for several weeks after a string of vehicles were attacked in May.

Updated: 10:22 Wednesday, September 15, 2004