Police in London are appealing for witnesses after a 64-year-old Transport for London bus driver was seriously assaulted on Battersea Bridge and left fighting for life in hospital. Officers were called at 00.33hrs on Monday, 18 May after reports of the attack, and emergency first aid was given at the scene before the driver was taken to hospital by London’s Air Ambulance.
A 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and remains in custody. Police believe the assault followed a confrontation on the pavement by the bus, which was stationary at a bus stop at the time. The driver remains in a critical condition, and investigators are now trying to piece together exactly what happened in the moments before he was hurt.
Detective Superintendent Fiona Van Kampen said the attack took place on one of London’s busiest bridges and added that police recognise the concern it will cause in the local community. She said officers are urgently asking anyone with dashcam or mobile phone footage of the incident to come forward so they can establish the exact circumstances of the assault.
Battersea Bridge, which carries heavy traffic across the Thames, was the setting for an incident that unfolded in the early hours of the morning and quickly drew a major police response. At this stage, detectives say the key question is not whether a confrontation happened, but how it escalated so fast that a transit worker ended up in a critical condition after what began beside a stationary bus.
Van Kampen said the force’s thoughts remain with the victim’s family as enquiries continue. Anyone with information is being asked to call 101 and quote CAD 174/18May. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The case has already moved beyond a routine assault investigation because of where it happened, who was involved and how badly the driver was injured. For the family waiting for news, the next update will matter less for the police file than for whether he pulls through.
