Public backs sacked bus driver who punched thief

Thousands of pounds have been raised for London bus driver Mark Hehir, who lost his job after he chased down a thief to return a female passenger's stolen necklace.

A tribunal heard he was sacked by Metroline because he punched the thief, although Hehir said he was acting in self-defence as the thief punched him first.

An online fundraising page has so far raised more than £4,500 in support of Hehir, and a petition for his job to be reinstated has received more than 7,000 signatures.

A Metroline spokesperson said "The Independent Employment Tribunal has upheld the dismissal as fair. The claimant breached road safety rules and company protocols designed to keep staff and passengers safe."

Metroline told the tribunal the driver's use of force was "excessive" in the incident in June 2024, which happened on a 206 bus, between Wembley and Maida Vale in north-west London.

Hehir told the Metro: "I'm not a guy who attacks people, but I will defend people in trouble, which has unfortunately proved to be my downfall."

Henry Goff, 34, who works as a web developer and is behind the fundraiser, said: "He's a hero, he's the kind of person that I think we all need to see and that we need more of.

"I thought there's no way we could leave this as it is, society in some way has got to set this right, we need more people like him, not less."

A petition to have Hehir reinstated was started by the shadow justice minister Kieran Mullan, who described his sacking as "shameful and unjust".

Mullan said: "As an MP, I can't make a company act differently but with public support we can shame them into doing the right thing."

He added: "Mark's courage ensured the safety of his passenger and put a wrong right.

"Sign this petition if you agree Mark's dismissal was shameful and unjust and that Metroline should reinstate or compensate him.

"Ludicrously, one of their concerns was that the robber was a 'customer'."

Both men were arrested but Hehir was subsequently released and told he would face no further police action.

The day after the incident on 25 June 2024, Hehir was suspended from duty and told to attend an investigation.

At a disciplinary hearing, he was told the allegations included "bringing the company into disrepute by physically assaulting a passenger" and that he had also "failed to protect his and his passengers' safety by leaving the bus unattended with engine running and chasing an assailant".

Hehir told the hearing that "he had acted instinctively in running after the [man]" and that he had left the doors open and the handbrake on.

The hearing was shown a note from a detective which said "the claimant had used force which was proportionate and necessary in the circumstances in the defence of himself and the female passenger".

The petition said: "Acting quickly to help people in moments like this is difficult and even trained professionals can make mistakes.

"But people doing the right thing, for the right reasons when so many look the other way, need our support not the rulebook being thrown at them."

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