Bus supervisor sacked for removing drunk passenger
A bus supervisor has been sacked after 17 years' service for removing a passenger who was drinking vodka and shouting abuse at children.
Nigel Thew, 52, physically ejected the passenger from the vehicle, and broke his ankle in three places while doing so.
He was called to the number 27 bus travelling through Brighton after complaints the passenger was drinking vodka and being abusive.
The man resisted being removed from the bus, and the pair fell over, leading to Thew's broken ankle. Despite the injury, he managed to hold the man on the ground until police arrived on the scene to arrest him.
The incident took place on 24 October 2013 in Saltdean in East Sussex.
However, while at home recovering from his injury, Mr Thew was told be was being sacked from his job.
He has now approached the Argus with his story after unsuccessful appeals to his employer.
He told the paper: "Nobody complained about my actions, not even the passenger on the bus.
"The only contact I had from the bus company after the incident was five days later when they said I had to attend a disciplinary meeting.
"This guy threatened to put a bottle in my face, he was holding it down by his side and had his fingers around the neck of the bottle.
"I didn't even grab him, I just grabbed his jumper and walked him off the bus."
Martin Harris, managing director of Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company, told the Metro: "We have clear CCTV recordings of what takes place on our buses. Such serious decisions would not be taken without clear evidence.
"Issues of data protection and confidentiality prevent me saying more."
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