Chandigarh: An Indian-origin Sikh bus driver was attacked and forced out of his bus before the vehicle was hijacked and ploughed into several cars in Telford, Shropshire, on Friday evening, UK police said.
A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and dangerous driving and remains in custody while investigations continue.
West Mercia Police said officers were first alerted at around 6.37pm on September 18 to Court Street in Madeley after members of the public reported that a bus driver had been assaulted. During the attack, the driver was thrown from the vehicle, after which the bus was driven away along Park Way towards High Street, travelling on the wrong side of the road and smashing into multiple cars, as reported by The New Indian Express.
The vehicle was eventually brought to a stop and police arrested a man aged in his 20s on suspicion of robbery and dangerous driving. He is still being held in custody as probe continues.
Paramedics treated the driver for minor injuries, and no other person is believed to have been hurt in the incident, police said.
Police Seek Footage From Public
A statement issued by West Mercia Police said: “At around 6.37 pm officers were called to Court Street in Madeley following reports that a bus driver had been assaulted. During the assault, the driver was ejected from the vehicle. The bus was then driven along Park Way towards the High Street, driving on the wrong side of the road and colliding with multiple vehicles.
“The vehicle was eventually stopped, and officers were able to arrest a man, aged in his 20s, on suspicion of robbery and dangerous driving. He remains in police custody while enquiries continue. The bus driver was treated for minor injuries by paramedics, and no one else is believed to have been injured during the incident.”
Detective Sergeant Taigh Lannie said: “We understand this will have been an alarming incident for those in the area this evening. I’d like to reassure the community that officers responded quickly and a man has been arrested and remains in police custody. Our enquiries are continuing and we are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed what happened or may have footage that could assist us. In particular, we’d ask anyone with dashcam, CCTV, mobile phone or doorbell footage from the Court Street, Park Way or High Street areas around the time of the incident to please check their recordings and contact police.”
Viral Video, Community Anger
Videos of the attack filmed by people at the scene have gone viral online. Witnesses say they called police right after recording the incident. Officers arrived quickly and arrested the suspect, reports said.
After the assault, strong anger and protests have been reported among Punjabi and Sikh communities in the UK. Community groups and leaders have condemned the alleged hate crime and demanded the toughest legal action against the accused.