DETECTIVES in Tallaght are increasingly concerned about serious anti-social behaviour among children as young as 10 who have "held the place to ransom". The youths have been accused of damaging buses by throwing bricks at them, leading to a suspension of some services.

Dublin Bus resumed its route 77 bus back to normal services last Friday after being forced to suspend its services after 7pm along part of the route because of the windows being broken by children throwing bricks and other missiles.

Gardaí and Dublin Bus have increased undercover patrols around the Jobstown area along the N81 where children have been throwing bricks at buses.

A garda source said the children involved are as young as 10 and they are currently trying to identify them.

"They held the place to ransom with his behaviour. We are trying to identify them and obviously need to speak to their parents.

"They are only children, they can't even be dealt with in the juvenile liaison scheme. The damage they could potentially do is alarming.

"It is understandable that Dublin Bus had to pull the services, they cannot put their drivers and passengers at risk," he said.

A spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said that following a meeting with local representatives on Friday, it had been decided to resume bus services along the route. She added that it was hoped that increased garda patrols as well as patrols by Dublin Bus officials would now put a stop to the problem.

"We never want to suspend services but we have to put the safety of our drivers and passengers first," said the spokeswoman.

Last weekend, a 14-year-old was hospitalised after being stabbed during a row with another teenager in Tallaght.

He has since been released after being attacked in Donomore Crescent. Investigating detectives are aware of the motivation for the attack, which concerns a local row.

The teenager has not told gardaí who was responsible for the attack.

The 14-year-old is known to gardaí but is not considered one of the young up-and-coming criminals in Tallaght they have been targeting in a series of operations over the past 12 months.