US EditionLondon bus driver sacked after chasing and punching thief
Mark Hehir was dismissed for gross misconduct after using physical force and leaving his bus unattended, with a tribunal upholding the decision despite public support and a police report backing his self-defense.
- Mark Hehir, a London bus driver, pursued the suspected robber who snatched a passenger's necklace on June 25, 2024 on the 206 bus and hit him once in self‑defence, knocking him unconscious.
- At the disciplinary hearing, managers said Mark Hehir breached company safety protocols by leaving the bus unattended with the engine running, and Metroline alleged gross misconduct for bringing the company into 'disrepute'.
- Tribunal documents describe how Hehir dragged the suspect to the pavement restraint for nearly half an hour; both men faced arrests, but Hehir was released with no further police action, and Detective Constable Waddington deemed his force proportionate.
- Hehir was suspended the next day and Alina Gioroc, operations manager, found all allegations proved, ruling the half-hour restraint "excessive" and dismissing him without notice for gross misconduct.
- A GoFundMe organiser and union officials said the public hailed Mark Hehir a 'hero' and raised more than £300, while the Unite union warned assaults on London bus drivers are rising.
28 Articles
28 Articles
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'Hero' London bus driver sacked after he chased down thief who stole passenger's necklace
A London bus driver was sacked after he chased down and knocked out a man who stole a passenger’s necklace.Mark Hehir was lauded as a hero after the incident but received his marching orders after two years working for Metroline.On June 25 2024, Mr Hehir was driving the 206 bus, which runs between Wembley and Maida Vale in north-west London.A tribunal heard that a man boarded the bus before snatching a necklace from a female passenger from aroun…
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