Video: Man in UK hijacks bus after assaulting Sikh driver, pulling his beard
A man assaulted a Sikh bus driver, seized control of his single-decker bus and drove it into multiple vehicles in the UK's Telford, on Friday evening, prompting the deployment of armed police, as reported by the BBC.
Videos circulating on social media show the man attacking the driver inside the Travel Telford bus before taking control of the vehicle. The footage captures passengers screaming at the man to stop and urging people to get out of the way.
The video shows the driver repeatedly asking for a telephone and pleading with passengers to call the police. One woman can be heard telling the attacker to leave the driver alone, while another passenger also urges him to stop.
The attacker threw the bus's ticket-reading machine at the driver, pulled his beard and headbutted him during the assault before taking control of the bus.
The incident happened shortly after 6pm on Friday. Police officers told The Telegraph they received a call about an "alarming incident" in Court Street, Madeley.
The bus travelled on the wrong side of the road and collided with a number of vehicles, according to police. Onlookers could be heard screaming for the driver to stop as the bus continued along the road.
Police said armed officers from Malinsgate Police Station were deployed to the scene. Officers stopped the vehicle 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 handles have claimed that the man arrested is a Yemeni national. However, police have not confirmed the claim.
The bus driver suffered minor injuries and was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital. Police said no one else had been hurt.
A 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 thanked members of the public who came to the driver's aid 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 reviewing the footage and other material received as part of their investigation.
Arriva, which operates the Travel Telford bus service, said it was aware of the incident and was supporting the affected driver while assisting police with their enquiries.- EndsPublished By: Akshat TrivediPublished On: Sep 20, 2026 14:46 IST
