LOTHIAN Buses is withdrawing all of its services that depart after 7.30pm this evening (Wednesday) in a bid to tackle escalating instances of anti-social behaviour.

The company, which also oversees the operation of EastCoast Buses which also serves East Lothian, says it is taking a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour, which led to it making the decision today.

All journeys on Lothian Buses, Lothian Country Buses and EastCoast Buses that are due to depart terminal points after 7.30pm will not operate this evening.

This only applies to evening services and NightBus services are expected to operate as normal.

Lothian Buses has said that all services are expected to return as scheduled tomorrow (Thursday) but it is something that will be kept under review, with services diverted away from any area targeted by further attacks until it is safe to return.

Over the past few weeks, there have been a high number of reported incidents of anti-social behaviour towards buses and bus drivers.

In mid-February, a youth was charged following complaints of youngsters, some of whom were on electric scooters, behaving dangerously in Prestonpans.

Young people were hitting the emergency stop buttons on buses in the town and harassing drivers and passengers, behaviour called “extremely dangerous” by police.

SEE MORE: E-scooter youths 'harassing' residents

Over the weekend, the Courier shared the story of a Lothian Buses driver who had a rock thrown through his window while at the wheel of a double decker bus.

Thankfully, the unnamed driver emerged physically uninjured but the incident sadly had a severe impact on his mental health; he shared his story in a powerful video.

SEE MORE: Bus driver's emotional appeal after rock attack

Sarah Boyd, Lothian Buses’ operations director, said: “It is with pride that Lothian serves at the heart of our local communities and, after the challenges of the last year, it’s frankly appalling that the actions of a few can directly impact on so many.

"However, driver and customer safety is our absolute priority and so it is with deep regret that we have to take this action.

“We understand that we provide a critical service for key workers and those for whom travel is essential and we can only apologise to these customers who we know will be inconvenienced by this decision.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Police Scotland for all their efforts in helping us to maintain service this far. I would also like to thank our customers and all of our colleagues for their continued support and patience.

“We would urge anyone with any information relating to these incidents to come forward to ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”

Lyn Turner, Unite regional industrial officer, said: “Our members have the right to work without fear and we stand by Lothian’s decision to withdraw services from areas in which they cannot operate safely. The safety of our members is paramount.”

Tom Read, head of infrastructure at East Lothian Council, said: “No-one should have to tolerate anti social behaviour, whether travelling or working on public transport.

“Given the challenges recently faced we understand the reasons why Lothian Buses has taken the decision to withdraw all services from 7.30pm this evening. This is a decision which will have been taken reluctantly.

“We greatly value all of our bus companies and are committed to working in partnership together to overcoming these challenges, to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff.”