A drunk attacked a bus packed with students last night as it headed out of Kingston towards halls of residence in Surbiton.

The incident took place at about 10pm at the junction of Portsmouth Road and Brighton Road, Surbiton.

Students and bystanders photographed the white, unshaven man on their phones as he lashed out.

Surrey Comet chief reporter David Lindsell also photographed the man, who walked off towards Long Ditton.

The attack came after a stand-off between the bus and the man, who was standing in the road blocking its way.

At one point before the attack, a police car sped past to another incident with sirens blazing but, unaware of the confrontation, did not stop.

A side window was smashed, the front window of the bus shattered and the windscreen wiper torn off.

Afterwards the bus drove on to the Seething Wells campus where stunned students disembarked.

The bus driver made calls to his depot but was forced to tell passengers the bus was out of action.

Students getting off the bus told the Surrey Comet the man tried to get on the bus at the traffic lights but the bus driver had not allowed him on.

A Kingston police spokesman said: "A man who appeared to be drunk tried to board a Kingston University student bus, stationary at the Portsmouth Road traffic lights, which was en route to the Seething Wells campus.

"When he was denied entry he attacked the bus breaking a number of windows and removing the windscreen wiper.

"To protect his passengers the bus driver immediately drove on the remaining 100 yards to the campus."

Kingston police is carrying out an investigation with the university's security manager.

Officers are looking for a white, unshaven, man in his early to mid forties.

Anyone who can identify the man is asked to call Kingston’s Safer Transport Team on 0208 721 5848 or, if they wish to remain anonymous, CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.