A 64-year-old bus driver is in a critical condition in hospital after being seriously assaulted on Battersea Bridge in the early hours of Monday. Police said officers gave him first aid before an air ambulance took him to hospital.
The Metropolitan Police said the attack followed a confrontation on the pavement shortly before 12.30am while the man's bus was parked at a stop on one of London’s busiest bridges. A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
Fiona Van Kampen said police recognised the intense concern the case would cause in the local community and were working to establish the exact circumstances of the attack. She said the force was urgently appealing for anyone with information to come forward, especially anyone who may have dash-cam or mobile phone footage of what happened. The police also asked witnesses to contact them on 101 and to use CAD 174/18May when providing information, or to call the Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 if they wanted to stay anonymous.
The bridge has become the focus of a fast-moving investigation because the assault happened in public, in one of the busiest parts of the capital, and police have not yet set out what led to the confrontation. Transport for London said it was supporting the investigation and framed the attack as workplace violence against one of its staff members.
Siwan Hayward said the organisation’s thoughts were with the bus driver, his family and his friends after what she called a shocking incident. She said TfL strongly condemned all forms of violence and aggression, added that everyone had the right to work and travel safely and without fear, and said it remained committed to protecting staff across the network. The driver’s condition leaves the inquiry with a human urgency that is difficult to miss: police have one suspect in custody, but they still need the footage and witnesses that could show exactly what happened on Battersea Bridge.
