- Sikh bus driver assaulted, vehicle stolen in Telford.
- Suspect drove bus dangerously, caused multiple vehicle collisions.
- Police swiftly arrested Ali Balhad, facing multiple serious charges.
In a shocking incident, a Sikh bus driver was assaulted and his vehicle stolen in Telford, England, on Friday evening. The suspect, a 33-year-old Yemeni national named Ali Balhad, then drove the bus the wrong way and collided with several vehicles before his arrest. The incident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. on September 18 at Court Street in Madeley and was captured on video.
Footage shows Balhad pulling the driver’s beard and repeatedly banging his head against the driver’s. A woman in the background asks, “Why are you touching him like that?” The driver can be heard requesting that police be called and asking for the man to be taken away from him.
Violent man STEALS BUS after beating Sikh driver pic.twitter.com/omB0BmOFr2
— RTVisual (@RT_Visual_on_X) September 19, 2026
Balhad then pulls at the bus’s strings, causes damage, removes what appears to be a light from the driver’s cabin, and threatens the driver with it while demanding the keys. After more than a minute, he ejects the driver and takes control of the vehicle. West Mercia Police said the bus was driven along Park Way towards the High Street on the wrong side of the road, colliding with multiple vehicles.
Accused arrested within 10 minutes
Video recorded by a bystander shows a woman shouting in distress and running after the bus.Police received a call at approximately 6:37 p.m. Officers, including armed units from Malinsgate Police Station, arrived and arrested Balhad within 10 minutes on suspicion of robbery and dangerous driving. The bus driver was treated for minor injuries; no one else was hurt.
Superintendent Edward Hancox, responsible for local policing in Telford, said: “Officers were on the scene, and had made the arrest, within 10 minutes of the first call being received. A man remains in police custody while we work to fully understand the circumstances of what happened.”
Incident raises alarm
Detective Sergeant Taigh Lannie added that the incident would have been alarming for local residents and confirmed a rapid response. Police have appealed for witnesses and any dashcam, CCTV, mobile phone or doorbell footage from the Court Street, Park Way or High Street areas around the time of the incident.
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Balhad, believed to have been in the Telford area for about a week, has been charged with aggravated vehicle taking, assault, attempted grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving, robbery, theft from a store, threats to kill, and three counts of criminal damage. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Telford Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 21.