AN alert police patrol on the A1 prevented an incident that could have turned into a tragedy. Two youths were spotted firing guns at vehicles. They were seen on Monday morning by two Biggleswade officers who were travelling on the busy road near Seddingto

AN alert police patrol on the A1 prevented an incident that could have turned into a tragedy.

Two youths were spotted firing guns at vehicles.

They were seen on Monday morning by two Biggleswade officers who were travelling on the busy road near Seddington.

The officers immediately returned to the vicinity where the youngsters had been seen and arrested two teenagers. The officers later discovered the weapons were two BB rifles which were recovered at the scene and confiscated.

A motorist later reported to the police his windscreen had been struck as he travelled along the A1 close to where the teenagers were arrested.

"The possibility of a tragedy happening because of these two idiots is just too horrific to even contemplate," said Insp John Maries of Biggleswade police.

"This is a fast stretch of road carrying a lot of traffic and many motorists would immediately take avoiding action and possibly swerve to avoid being shot at if they saw two people at the side of the road with rifles pointing in their direction.

"Thank God my two officers saw these two teenagers and took immediate action to stop them because there could have been a major incident.

"They may have only been BB guns and not been powerful enough to penetrate vehicle glass but most people seeing two men with guns at the side of the road would want to instinctively take evasive action and try and get out of the line of fire.

"That is when there could have been the potential for a serious accident that might have caused loss of life.

"The whole incident is quite frightening. Thankfully they were doing it in daylight and not at night which could have made it even more dangerous and we might have never caught them because they wouldn't have been seen in the dark standing in a field."

Insp Maries said both teenagers, one 16 and the other 18, were arrested and taken to Biggleswade Police Station for questioning.

Both young men are from the Seddington area. The oldest boy was charged with criminal damage of a vehicle and the youngster released on police bail.