Bus Driver Left Critically Injured Following Assault on Battersea Bridge

A London bus driver is in a critical condition after a serious assault on Battersea Bridge during the early hours of Sunday morning.

Metropolitan Police officers were called to the scene in south-west London at around 12:30am following reports that a man had been attacked near a stationary bus at a bus stop.

The victim, a 64-year-old driver, received emergency treatment from officers before being airlifted to hospital by London’s Air Ambulance service.

Police believe the incident happened after a confrontation on the pavement close to the vehicle, although investigations into the exact circumstances are still ongoing.

A 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and remains in custody while enquiries continue.

Detectives have launched an urgent appeal for witnesses and are asking anyone who may have seen the incident, or captured footage on a mobile phone or dashcam, to contact police.

Detective Superintendent Fiona Van Kampen said the attack would understandably cause concern within the local community and confirmed officers are working to establish exactly what happened.

She noted that Battersea Bridge is a busy location and stressed the importance of obtaining further information from members of the public who may have been nearby at the time.

Transport for London also condemned the incident. Siwan Hayward, TfL’s director of security, policing and enforcement, said the organisation’s thoughts were with the injured driver and his family.

She added that violence and aggression towards transport staff would not be tolerated and emphasised that everyone should be able to work and travel safely on London’s transport network without fear of abuse or attack.