SAFETY concerns for staff and passengers following a spate of attacks means Newport Transport will again suspend or divert bus services to parts of the city from 7pm tonight.

The action - following a number of attacks on services, staff and passengers in recent days - affected services to Ringland and the eastern end of Chepstow Road last night, and the same restrictions will apply tonight (see below).

So serious does Newport Transport consider the recent attacks to have been, that in a statement issued yesterday, it says "it has been due to good fortune that someone has not been seriously injured".

Services serving Ringland and Chepstow Road (between Aberthaw Road the the Coldra) are affected.

"This decision has been made in consultation with senior staff and made in the interests of the safety and well-being of our staff and customers," reads the Newport Transport statement.

"The potential ramifications of such incidents are serious, and it has been due to good fortune that someone has not been seriously injured in previous attacks.

"Services will return to normal on Friday September 20, but should further issues occur the company may make the decision to remove these services for a longer or more permanent period.

On Tuesday evening, Newport Bus tweeted that "another window has been smashed in Ringland on Hendre Farm Drive", and remaining services subsequently only operated to Ringland Centre via Aberthaw Road and Ringland Circle.

Details of the services affected by tonight's removals and diversions are:

8A/8C - The last service to leave the bus station will be the 6.30pm 8C service - all other services will not operate;

6/7/6E - The last service operating a full route will be the 6.30pm 7 service - from the 6.45pm 6 services, the 6/6E will only operate as far as Ladyhill Road in both directions;

74 - The 6.15pm 74 from Newport will operate a full route. The 9.15pm departure will operate via Somerton Road/SDR and return to its normal route at Coldra. The 9.35pm departure from Chepstow will operate via SDR and Somerton Road, returning to the normal route at Chepstow Road.