August M
A London bus driver praised by passengers for stopping a theft has lost his job after a tribunal ruled his actions crossed the line.
The case has reignited debate over how far transport staff can go when intervening in violent incidents on public transport.
According to The Independent, Mark Hehir was dismissed after chasing and restraining a man who stole a passenger’s necklace.
The incident unfolds
The tribunal heard that on June 25, 2024, Hehir was driving the 206 bus between Wembley and Maida Vale when a man boarded, pushed past a female passenger and snatched a necklace from her neck.
Hehir, who had worked for Metroline for about two years, left the bus and chased the man, later returning the necklace to the passenger.
The man then came back toward the bus and threw “the first punch” at Hehir, the tribunal was told. Hehir struck back once in self-defence, knocking the man unconscious.
Arrest and investigation
After the punch, Hehir dragged the man onto the pavement and restrained him for nearly half an hour.
Both men were arrested, but police later released Hehir and confirmed no further action would be taken against him.
An email shown at a disciplinary hearing from Detective Constable Waddington stated that “the claimant had used force which was proportionate and necessary in the circumstances in the defence of himself and the female passenger”.
Despite this, Hehir was suspended the day after the incident and called to a formal investigation.
Disciplinary fallout
Metroline accused Hehir of “bringing the company into disrepute by physically assaulting a passenger” and of failing to protect safety by leaving the bus unattended.
Hehir said he had acted instinctively and left the handbrake on and doors open. He told the hearing that the passenger was frightened and that he restrained the man because “he was frightened that the (man) would do something if he got to his feet”.
He also said public reaction framed him as a “hero”.
Tribunal decision
Operations manager Alina Gioroc told the tribunal she believed the man had returned to apologise and that the restraint was an “excessive use of force and disproportionate”.
A tribunal in Watford upheld the dismissal, ruling that the belief Hehir committed gross misconduct was reasonable.
A Metroline spokesperson said: “The tribunal has upheld the dismissal as fair. The claimant breached protocols designed to keep staff and passengers safe, which is our priority.”
Sources: The Independent
