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On camera: Sikh driver assaulted, beard pulled before bus hijacked in UK
Sikh bus driver was allegedly assaulted in Telford, England, before his bus was taken and driven into several vehicles, police said.
FULL ARTICLE · The Indian Express World
3 min readNew DelhiSep 20, 2026 07:27 PM IST
A video of the incident has since gone viral where the Sikh driver can be seen confronting the Yemeni national as the latter continues attacking the driver. (Photo: X/ @RT_Visual_on_X/ enhanced via AI)
A Sikh driver was allegedly assaulted, his beard pulled and the bus he was driving stolen in England’s Telford, with the incident caught on camera. A 33-year-old suspect, who drove the bus in the wrong direction, hitting several vehicles, was arrested at the scene.
Suspect allegedly drives bus into oncoming traffic
The incident took place on Friday, when officers were called to the scene around 6:37 pm (local time) to Court Street in Madeley following reports that a bus driver had been assaulted by a man, West Mercia police said in a statement, adding the driver was ejected from the vehicle during the assault.
Violent man STEALS BUS after beating Sikh driver pic.twitter.com/omB0BmOFr2 — RTVisual (@RT_Visual_on_X) September 19, 2026
The police added that the suspect, after taking control of the bus, drove the vehicle on the wrong side of the road and collided with multiple vehicles. The vehicle eventually stopped, and officers at the scene arrested the accused on suspicion of robbery and dangerous driving. The suspect, who is reportedly identified as Ali Balhad, a Yemeni national, remains in police custody and is due to appear before Telford Magistrates Court.
Viral video shows assault on Sikh driver
A video of the incident has since gone viral where the Sikh driver can be seen confronting the Yemeni national as the latter continues attacking the driver while hitting him. Police said the driver received minor injuries and was treated by paramedics. In the video, the suspect, Ali Balhad, is seen hitting his head against the Sikh driver’s head and pulling his beard.
A woman, who was reportedly recording the video of the incident, can be heard saying, “Why are you touching him like that?” The driver asked the woman, “Can you call the police, please?”
Police appeal for witnesses and footage
Detailing the attack on the Sikh driver, West Mercia Police’s Detective Sergeant Taigh Lannie said, “We understand this will have been an alarming incident for those in the area this evening. I’d like to reassure the community that officers responded quickly and a man has been arrested and remains in police custody.”
Detective Lannie added, “Our enquiries are continuing, and we’re keen to hear from anyone who witnessed what happened or may have footage that could assist us. In particular, we’d ask anyone with dashcam, CCTV, mobile phone or doorbell footage from the Court Street, Park Way or High Street areas around the time of the incident to please check their recordings and contact police.”
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