On Camera, Yemeni Man Assaults Sikh Driver, Steals His Bus, Rams Vehicles In UK

A Sikh driver was assaulted, and his bus was stolen in Telford, England on Friday evening. The thief, identified as a 33-year-old Yemeni national, then drove the bus in the wrong direction and rammed several vehicles before being arrested.

The incident, which took place on September 18 at around 6:30 pm at Court Street in Madeley, was caught on camera. 

On Camera, Sikh Bus Driver Assaulted In Telford

In the video, the Yemeni national, Ali Balhad, can be seen pulling the Sikh driver's beard and then banging his head against the driver's head.

"Why are you touching him like that?" a woman is heard saying in the background.

"Can you call the police please," the driver asks the woman filming the incident.

"Just take this guy away from me," he adds.

The accused goes on to pull at the strings and damage the bus.

"What the hell are you doing," a woman asks.

The accused then pulls out what looks like a light from the driver's cabin and threatens to hit the Sikh man. He repeatedly asks the driver to give him the bus.

The assault continued for over a minute before the accused Balhad ejected the driver from the vehicle and took the wheel.

"The bus was then driven along Park Way towards the High Street, driving on the wrong side of the road and colliding with multiple vehicles," West Mercia Police said.

In the video, a woman can be heard crying and repeatedly asking people to move aside, while shouting, "Oh my god". The shaky video suggests she was running behind the bus as the incident unfolded.

Violent man STEALS BUS after beating Sikh driver pic.twitter.com/omB0BmOFr2

— RTVisual (@RT_Visual_on_X) September 19, 2026

Police received a call at around 6:37 pm and were called to Court Street. The vehicle was eventually stopped, and officers were able to arrest a man on suspicion of robbery and dangerous driving.

The bus driver, according to the police, was been treated for minor injuries. No one else was injured during the incident.

What Police Said

"Officers were on the scene, and had made the arrest, within 10 minutes of the first call being received," said Edward Hancox, Superintendent for local policing in Telford. "This included armed officers deploying from Malinsgate Police Station. A man remains in police custody while we work to fully understand the circumstances of what happened."

Detective Sergeant Taigh Lannie acknowledged the gravity of the incident and assured residents of the area of police action.

"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."

The police have called on eyewitnesses to support the investigation. People who may have dashcam or CCTV footage or video recordings of the incident have also been asked to come forward and share them with investigators.

"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."

Charges Against Yemeni National 

Ali Balhad, who is believed to have been in the Telford area for around a week, has been charged with aggravated vehicle taking, assault, attempted grievous bodily harm, driving a motor vehicle dangerously, robbery, theft from a store, threats to kill and three counts of criminal damage.

Balhad has been remanded in custody and is due to appear before Telford Magistrates Court on Monday (September 21).