UK: Sikh driver assaulted, bus stolen in Telford
What's the story
A shocking incident in Telford, England, on Friday evening saw a Sikh bus driver being assaulted and his vehicle stolen. The assailant, identified as 33-year-old Yemeni national Ali Balhad, drove the stolen bus on the wrong side of the road and collided with several vehicles before being apprehended by police. The incident occurred around 6:30pm at Court Street in Madeley and was caught on camera.
Incident details
Video footage of the incident
The video footage, now viral on social media, shows Balhad pulling the Sikh driver's beard and banging his head against the driver's head.
A woman is heard asking, "Why are you touching him like that?"
The driver can be heard asking her to call the police and to take Balhad away from him.
Twitter Post
Visuals of the incident
Insane footage out of Telford this evening as an invader attacks a bus driver and steals the bus!
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) September 18, 2026
Crashing into multiple vehicles as he drove through the town! pic.twitter.com/1u9vwdR68U
Theft and collisions
Balhad drives stolen bus on wrong side of road
Despite the driver's pleas, Balhad continued to assault him, eventually ejecting him from the vehicle.
He then drove the bus along Park Way toward High Street on the wrong side of the road, colliding with multiple vehicles.
The police received a call at around 6:37pm about the incident and arrived within 10 minutes.
Officers arrested Balhad on suspicion of robbery and dangerous driving.
Aftermath and appeal
Police appeal for witnesses
Local media reports stated the bus driver was treated for minor injuries at the scene. Fortunately, no one else was injured during this incident.
West Mercia Police have appealed to witnesses with dashcam or CCTV footage from the area around the time of the incident to come forward and assist in their investigation.
Legal proceedings
Balhad charged with multiple offenses
Balhad has been charged with aggravated vehicle taking, assault, attempted grievous bodily harm, driving a motor vehicle dangerously, robbery, and theft from a store.
He also faces charges for threats to kill and three counts of criminal damage.
Balhad is currently in custody and is scheduled to appear before Telford Magistrates Court on Monday (September 21).