London bus driver sacked after chasing and punching thief who stole from passenger

A London bus driver who chased down and restrained a thief after a passenger was robbed has been dismissed from his job, despite police finding that his actions were lawful and proportionate.

Mark Hehir was driving the 206 bus between Wembley and Maida Vale in June 2024 when a man boarded the vehicle, snatched a necklace from a female passenger and fled. Acting instinctively, Hehir left the bus and pursued the suspect, successfully recovering the necklace and returning it to the victim.

However, because the driver left the bus unattended with the engine running while he chased the suspect, Metroline, the company he had worked for for two years, initiated disciplinary proceedings, accusing him of bringing the company into disrepute.

According to tribunal evidence, the suspect later returned to the bus and threw the first punch at Hehir. The driver responded in self-defence, striking the man once and knocking him unconscious. He then dragged the man onto the pavement and restrained him for nearly half an hour until police arrived.

Both men were arrested, but Hehir was released without charge and informed that no further police action would be taken. A police report stated that the force used by Hehir was “proportionate and necessary” in defence of himself and the female passenger.

Despite this, Metroline suspended Hehir the following day and later dismissed him for gross misconduct. The company alleged that he had physically assaulted a passenger and failed to ensure passenger safety by leaving the bus unattended.

During the disciplinary hearing, Hehir said he had left the handbrake on and the doors open and acted out of concern for the victim, who he said was visibly frightened when the man returned. He told the panel that members of the public viewed his actions as those of a “hero.”

Metroline’s operations manager, Alina Gioroc, told the tribunal she believed the suspect had returned to apologise and shake hands, and that Hehir escalated the situation unnecessarily. She described the prolonged restraint as excessive and disproportionate.

The case was later reviewed at an employment tribunal in Watford, which upheld Metroline’s decision. The tribunal ruled that the employer had a genuine and reasonable belief that Hehir committed gross misconduct and that dismissal fell within the range of reasonable responses available to the company.

The ruling has reignited debate about how far workers should go to protect members of the public, and whether acts widely praised by the public can still justify dismissal under workplace rules.