Bus Driver Dismissed After Violent Chase Incident

A London bus driver has been dismissed after chasing a suspected thief off his bus and punching the man unconscious during an incident in north west London. The driver, Mark Hehir, had been operating a route serving Wembley and Maida Vale when a passenger reported that her necklace had been stolen. According to tribunal findings, Hehir left the bus with the engine running and pursued the suspect along the street. During the confrontation, he struck the man, rendering him unconscious, and later restrained him on the ground for an extended period until police arrived. While many members of the public viewed his actions as brave, his employer argued that leaving the vehicle unattended placed passengers at risk and breached safety procedures expected of professional drivers operating public transport in the capital. The incident quickly escalated beyond the responsibilities of a bus driver, raising concerns over judgment and duty of care.

Following the altercation, both men were arrested, though police later decided to take no further action against Hehir. A detective involved in the case noted that the force used was proportionate and necessary in defending himself and the passenger. Despite this, Metroline suspended the driver the next day and launched an internal investigation. At a disciplinary hearing, managers concluded that the physical confrontation and the decision to restrain the man for almost half an hour amounted to gross misconduct. The company maintained that the suspect had returned to the bus intending to apologise and that Hehir’s response was excessive. Management also criticised the decision to abandon the bus while passengers remained on board, stating that it exposed them to unnecessary risk and undermined operational safety standards.

An employment tribunal held in Watford later upheld the dismissal, ruling that the company’s decision fell within the range of reasonable responses open to an employer. The panel accepted that disciplinary managers genuinely believed the driver’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct and that this belief was based on reasonable grounds. While the case has prompted debate about how transport workers should respond to crime on the network, the ruling reinforces expectations that staff prioritise passenger safety and follow protocol rather than intervene physically. The outcome is likely to resonate across London’s transport sector, where frontline workers regularly face difficult situations but are expected to act within strict professional boundaries when incidents occur during service.