A double decker bus was stolen from a bus depot in Amesbury, Wiltshireon the 18th June 2010 by three hooded youths. Police were easily able to identify the thieves as they stupidly filmed their joyride on a mobile phone and then posted it on YouTube.
The film was called ‘stolen bus solstice 2010 hoodies Amesbury’ and has now been viewed over 20,000 times by interested Internet users. It shows the end of the joyride where a girl was driving the bus with another boy and girl standing nearby. They were headed along the A435 in Amesbury and the bus then crashes in to some parked cars after hitting a tree. Their conversation made it very clear that they were driving a double decker bus and the guy filming then turns the camera on himself, making all of them clearly identifiable. Once the bus stopped they panicked and abandoned it, running down the road screaming and shouting.
The bus crash caused £30,000 pounds worth of damage during its 12 mile journey to both the bus, other buses at the depot and parked cars including a Volkswagon and a Honda.
Having clear pictures of all of the youths enabled the police to identify the culprits and they soon arrested the two 16 year old girls and 21 year old man who had taken the bus. The youths have all been bailed pending a later court date. The police later said that it was a reckless thing to do and could have ended up causing a lot more damage or even the loss of lives. Adding that it is a great skill to be able to drive such a big vehicle and it was likely that it was only the time of day that they decided to take it, that prevented a fatality.