A man assaulted a Sikh bus driver, took control of his single-decker bus and crashed it into several vehicles in Telford, UK, on Friday evening, leading to the deployment of armed police, the BBC reported.
Videos shared on social media show the man attacking the driver inside a Travel Telford bus before taking over the vehicle. Passengers can be heard screaming at him to stop and warning others to move out of the way.
The footage shows the driver repeatedly asking for a telephone and urging passengers to call the police. One woman can be heard telling the attacker to leave the driver alone, while another passenger also asks him to stop.
During the assault, the attacker threw the bus’s ticket-reading machine at the driver, pulled his beard and headbutted him before taking control of the bus.
The incident took place shortly after 6pm on Friday. Police told The Telegraph that they received a report of an “alarming incident” in Court Street, Madeley.
According to police, the bus was driven on the wrong side of the road and collided with several vehicles. Witnesses could be heard shouting at the driver to stop as the bus continued down the road.
Armed officers from Malinsgate Police Station were sent to the scene. Police stopped the bus and arrested a 33-year-old man within 10 minutes of receiving the first 999 call.
The man was arrested on suspicion of robbery and dangerous driving and remains in police custody.
Some social media accounts have claimed that the arrested man is a Yemeni national, although police have not confirmed this.
The bus driver sustained minor injuries and was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital. Police said there were no other injuries.
Police official Supt Edward Hancox said, “Officers were on the scene and had made the arrest, within 10 minutes of the first call being received. This included armed officers deploying from Malinsgate police station. A man remains in police custody while we work to fully understand the circumstances of what happened.”
Hancox also thanked members of the public who intervened to help the driver after the assault.
“Thankfully, the bus driver did not suffer serious injuries, and I’d like to thank those members of the public who came to the driver’s aid and offered their help and support following what was understandably a distressing incident,” he said.
Police said they are examining video footage and other material provided to them as part of the investigation.
Arriva, which runs the Travel Telford bus service, said it was aware of the incident and was supporting the affected driver while cooperating with police in their investigation.
