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A bus driver who was dismissed after intervening to retrieve a passenger’s stolen necklace has seen thousands of pounds raised in his support.
Mark Hehir, 62, from north-west London, was sacked by Metroline following an incident where he pursued a thief who had snatched a passenger’s jewellery.
An employment tribunal heard that after Mr Hehir successfully recovered the necklace, the thief attempted to punch him. The driver retaliated, knocking the assailant unconscious.
Despite being hailed as a “hero” for his actions, Metroline terminated his employment, a decision later upheld by the tribunal.
In the wake of his dismissal, a GoFundMe page established for Mr Hehir has garnered over £4,500.
Additionally, an online petition advocating for his reinstatement has attracted more than 6,000 signatures.
Mr 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.”
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A tribunal upheld Metroline’s decision (PA Wire)
He also revealed that he volunteered for months in Ukraine after the Russian invasion of the country in 2022.
Henry Goff, 34, who works as a web developer and is behind the GoFundMe page, 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.”
Mr Goff said the money raised “makes me so happy, I went to bed with a smile on my face, I woke up with a clearly bigger one”.
He continued: “I keep dreaming of the moment where this number gets even bigger, and I can go take him for a pint, a pint of Guinness probably.
“It makes me so happy, this is civil justice.”
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Robert Jenrick has posted in support of the bus driver (PA Wire)
Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick posted on X in support of Mr Hehir, saying that “Metroline should reinstate Mark and apologise for their disgraceful conduct”.
Shadow Tory justice minister Kieran Mullan launched the online petition for Metroline to “reinstate or compensate” Mr Hehir’s job.
The MP said: “This is not justice. Mark Hehir stepped in to protect a passenger and recover her stolen property and for doing the right thing and putting himself in harm’s way, he lost his job.
“That is plainly wrong. Law abiding people should not be punished for standing up to thugs. This decision sends a deeply troubling message that those who do the right thing will not be supported.
“Most people would see his actions as an instinctive attempt to defend someone who had just been robbed. He should be reinstated immediately or compensated.”
Reform UK’s London 2028 mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham also posted on X: “If I become mayor of London then I’ll tell Metroline that unless they give Mark Hehir his job back, they can forget any future contracts with Transport for London.
“Under my watch, Londoners won’t fund companies that punish heroes for standing up to criminals.”