POLICE have released images of six teenagers they want to speak to in connection with a £50,000 bus blaze.

The fire completely gutted the top deck of the Stagecoach bus and caused damage to the bottom level.

The bus had left Bexleyheath for Bluewater shopping centre but it had to pull over when it got to Dartford Road, Dartford.

This was because the driver spotted smoke coming from the top deck on the CCTV cameras.

A resident, whose house suffered more than £10,000 damage, says he heard shouting when the bus pulled over.

Colin Scarborough said: "I heard the bus pull over and some young boys shout We have set fire to your bus'."

The 38-year-old said: "You could feel the heat coming from the flames."

Police closed the road and it took firefighters 25 minutes to stop the blaze.

The bus company says vandalism is not uncommon as there have been 62 incidents of criminal damage to buses on route 96 from April 2005 to April this year.

A Stagecoach spokesman says the incident was a stupid prank which could have gone seriously wrong.

He said: "What happened on Dartford Road is not unique.

"It has happened in the past but we want to stop things like this happening in the future.

"We are working with police to crack down on vandals.

"Residents were living close to the bus stop and anything could have happened if their windows were open."

He added: "We have convicted vandals in the past and have been successful.

"So now they should think before they act."

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Matt Long says he hopes the above CCTV images will help move the investigation on.

He said: "Someone could have been seriously injured during this incident.

"We are appealing to anyone who has information to contact police."

Anyone with information on the July 31 incident should call north Kent police on 01474 565220.