THE parents of a boy who was caught throwing a missile at a bus have been forced to watch video evidence of him in action.

Police visited the home of the 13-year-old boy in Little Hulton who was filmed throwing an object at a "ghost bus", which was carrying plain-clothed officers, and was followed by an unmarked police car with a film crew.

Bus company First had been forced to pull their five nightly services out of Little Hulton because of yobs throwing bricks and stones at them on the estate near to Eastham Way.

The boy, who lives on the estate, was caught on camera last Friday.

He was given a contract spelling out the behaviour expected of him in future.

The boy was given the acceptable behaviour contract in front of his parents, who were told it was his last chance before taking the next step, which would see him face an anti-social behaviour order in court. Police visited Little Hulton again on Saturday night, and saw that the ghost bus had made a major difference -- with no youths on the streets.

Supt Dave Lea, head of Swinton Police, said the results were so encouraging they would use the tactic again.

He said: "It has been very encouraging and the impact of doing this has clearly eradicated these kind of incidents.

"We went out on the ghost bus on Friday, and by Saturday night, when there are usually 50 or 60 children around there, there were none.

"The kids hate being filmed because it means their parents will know exactly what they have been up to.

"When they are filmed, it also means the parents can see exactly what their child has been doing -- because some don't believe it.

"If the problems start up again, then we would not hesitate in using the same tactics.

"We wanted to make a very strong stance, because we will not tolerate that kind of behaviour and allow them to eat away at the fabric of the community because that community will start to fall apart."

Fire crews have said they will continue to send two engines to each call out for the foreseeable future after the windscreen of an engine was smashed in Aspinall Street last Wednesday.

Farnworth Station Officer Neil Mercer said: "We will double up for another couple of weeks until we think the problem has died down.

"It happens more at night and during the holidays, when we will have two engines."

Three services -- route numbers 12, 37 and 68 -- are now back on the road although numbers 31 and 36 will be diverted around Eastham Way, Madamswood Road and Kenyon Way at 6pm.