Sisters of 'Putney Pusher' suspect tell of moment police in 'armed vests' raided home to arrest him

The family of Nicholas Brandram suspected of being the “Putney Pusher” have told how he was arrested by police officers in “armed vests”.

“My brother woke up to a large handful of police officers wearing armed vests with a film crew on the doorstep from the media,” the sisters said.

Putney pusher suspect Nicholas Brandram was found dead at a home in Chiswick, west London

Central news

“The Met, they were negligent, they were reckless and they have, you know, failed our brother,” they told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“They failed in their duty of care to our brother, to the wider family and arguably actually society because the Putney pusher is still out there."

The sisters laid out a string of reasons why their brother was not the “Putney Pusher”.

* “He had a withered leg from an injury sustained back from when he had been in the army.”

* "The victim had apparently reported that the attacker had had brown eyes. Our brother had very clear blue eyes.”

* "He had a prominent military tattoo on his forearm, which understandably would have been visible because the runner was wearing a T-shirt."

* He offered to have the DNA test carried out privately to speed it up and to take part in an identity parade.

* An email sent from his work showed he could not have been on Putney Bridge, they say.

The ‘Putney Pusher’

PA Archive/PA Images

Mr Brandram’s family say the 44-year-old millionaire banker “took his own life after months of immense pressure” caused by the force’s investigation which impacted on his mental health.

The force has referred itself to the police watchdog over its contact with Mr Brandram, who was released under investigation following his arrest following the incident on May 5 2017.

But in a statement released on Thursday, Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles sought to defend the Met’s actions saying that “further investigative work” into what happened on Putney Bridge is “ongoing”.

He said: “Our thoughts are with Mr Brandram’s family and friends at this deeply distressing time.

“We recognise the significant impact his death will have on those who knew and loved him.

“We also understand the strain that being subject to a police investigation can place on individuals and their families.

“The investigation remains ongoing.”

The Met previously said previously that Mr Brandram’s death was being treated as “unexpected” but not suspicious.

Following the incident more than nine years ago, the force confirmed a 44-year-old man had been released under investigation after being arrested in June after a jogger was filmed running past a man before lashing out at the female pedestrian.

Police added that he was additionally arrested on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs.

Bus driver Oliver Salbris

ITV

He said: “If I had not swerved...I would have smashed her head”, adding: “The consequences would have been terrible for her – and for me.”

It was reported at the time that around 15 minutes after the push, the jogger came back the other way across the bridge, and ignored the victim when she tried to speak to him.

Detectives identified more than 50 people of interest in their investigation before closing the probe in 2018, saying all lines of inquiry had been exhausted.