The unprovoked attack resulted in blindness in one eye
On Sunday 1st February 2009 at approximately 11:30pm, the driver of a no. 37 bus pulled up to the bus stops in Fairfield Street, Wandsworth, SW18. Weather conditions were poor due to heavy snow.
As the driver stood in the doorway of his bus, clearing snow from a wing mirror, he was struck by a snowball. The driver locked his cab then got off the bus to remonstrate with whoever threw the snowball.
Someone pulled his jacket over his head and he was set upon. During the struggle, the driver was struck in the face. He managed to return to his bus, bleeding heavily and a bystander called police.
The victim has suffered life-changing injuries and has been left blind in one eye as a result of this unprovoked assault.
Two males have been arrested in connection with this assault and are on police bail.
Police are appealing for information.
The bus company, London Central, together with the independent charity Crimestoppers, have offered a reward of up to £10,000 for information leading to the conviction of anyone for this assault.
If you have any information you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details of the caller are taken and calls are not traced or recorded.
Chief Superintendent Joe Royle, Transport Operational Command Unit, whose Workplace Violence Unit is assisting Wandsworth Borough with the investigation said:
“We are working together with our partners Transport for London, and our policing colleagues to keep London moving safely. This was a despicable act of violence. People who think they can cause violence and disruption on the transport network and get away with it are wrong. We are determined that all offenders of bus crime are brought to justice and we will leave no stone unturned in our endeavour to do so.”
Nick Owen, head of Bus Enforcement at Transport for London said,“We take any abuse towards bus drivers very seriously, especially as they are simply trying to do their job helping millions of people move around the capital every day. In order to support them, and the thousands of operational bus staff working for TfL, we work closely with the police, using onboard CCTV to help identify suspects who assault drivers, bringing them to justice and pushing for the strongest possible penalties.”
October 9, 2009
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