Police investigation launched after video shows passenger racially abusing bus driver

Lindon Daniels was subjected to verbal abuse whilst preparing to start his shift as a bus driver in Hackney

A police investigation has been launched after a passenger racially abusing a bus driver was caught on video

Grandfather-of-five Lindon Daniels, 65, was subjected to cruel verbal abuse from a passenger when preparing to start his shift.

The video, filmed when the number 26 bus stopped on Mare Street, Hackney, sees the unknown older gentleman shout to Mr Daniels from the pavement.

He first calls Mr Daniels, who is originally from Guyana, South America, a “c***” and a “f***ing w***er” before later shouts the N word at him.

Before the doors shut, the vile goes on to say “go get a job in your own country”.

Mr Daniels has worked as a transport driver in London for more than two decades.

The unknown man was filmed on 26 October by a passenger who felt sickened by his racist language.

The person who took the video said the incident happened after the man had already been asked to leave the bus over his language.

Arthur Blount, 27, the passenger who filmed the video, can be heard saying to the abusive man “Nah, that’s not on mate”.

He then tells Mr Daniels he needs to send the video to the police.

Mr Daniels, a dad-of-seven and grandfather-of-five, said: “I got on the bus at that stop to begin my shift for the day, and as soon as the man saw me step on I heard him making comments.

“He was saying ‘foreigners this, foreigners that’ - I couldn’t stand hearing him saying things like that.

“So I told him I wasn’t prepared to continue with him on the bus after what he said – and the video shows what he was saying when he stepped off.

“The aftermath has been worse than the incident – when I was realising how severe it was.

“I told my children and they said they’d been called similar things when they were at school and it broke my heart.

“I just hope the police find the man.”

Witness Mr Blount added: “I took off my headphones and heard a commotion – as soon as he started using racial slurs I knew I had to go down.

“It was so shocking – it’s the kind of thing you read about in the papers but never see for yourself.

“I have never seen such overt racism before in my life.”

A spokesperson for Metropolitan Police confirmed officers are “investigating a report of racial abuse towards a bus driver on Mare Street, E8 on Tuesday, 26 October.”

Siwan Hayward, director of compliance, policing operations and security at TfL: “We are appalled to hear about this racist abuse against Mr Daniels.

“Our bus drivers do an incredibly important job and should never be subject to any abuse from passengers.

“We take a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime of any form and are supporting the police in the investigation.

“We urge anyone who experiences or witnesses hate crime to report it to the police immediately. The earlier it is reported, the stronger the evidence we have to help ensure that the small minority of perpetrators face justice.

“It’s important that incidents are reported so we can stop it happening again.”

SWNS