A bus passenger whose necklace was snatched by a thief has said the driver who chased the suspect, recovered the jewellery and intervened when she felt threatened 'didn't deserve' to be sacked - as David Lammy publicly branded the driver 'a hero'.
Mark Hehir, 62, was dismissed by bus operator Metroline after confronting a man who stole a necklace from passenger Katalin Kaszas while she was boarding a bus in north-west London.
An employment tribunal later upheld the company's decision, despite finding that Mr Hehir had acted in self-defence.
Ms Kaszas has now spoken of her distress at learning the driver lost his job, saying she felt 'so guilty' and describing how frightened she was during the incident.
Recalling the moment her necklace was stolen, she said: 'When I was getting on the bus, a young man was getting off on the front door.
'He was running past me, I thought he was going to push me off the bus. He just grabbed my necklace and ran with it.
'I was like, 'Why is he there, where is my necklace? Oh damn'. So that's when I realised what just happened. I saw Mark running out, running after the guy.'
After Mr Hehir retrieved the necklace and returned to the bus, the situation escalated when the man came back towards her, Ms Kaszas said.
Mark Hehir, 62, was dismissed by bus operator Metroline after confronting a man who stole a necklace from passenger Katalin Kaszas while she was boarding a bus in north-west London
Former bus driver Mark Hehir (right) meets Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch in the House of Commons
Ms Kaszas has now spoken of her distress at learning the driver lost his job, saying she felt 'so guilty' and describing how frightened she was during the incident
'The guy was coming up... I was like 'No, no, no, stay away from me, I don't want to do anything with you'. He looked very, very shifty, I did not feel comfortable at all.
'I would say I even felt threatened, so I was backing away, and that's when Mark realised that something is not right here and he stepped in.
'I don't know where I was in my mind, I saw a punch flying, a guy hitting the floor, there was some blood and then I started to call the police.'
Mr Hehir knocked the man unconscious with a single punch and restrained him on the pavement until officers arrived. Both men were arrested, but police later confirmed Mr Hehir would face no further action.
A police case review concluded: 'The claimant had used force which was proportionate and necessary in the circumstances in the defence of himself and the female passenger.'
The employment tribunal heard that the incident took place on June 25 2024 while Mr Hehir was driving the 206 bus between Wembley and Maida Vale.
Despite the tribunal's findings, Metroline maintained its position, with a spokesperson saying: 'The tribunal has upheld the dismissal as fair.'
Ms Kaszas said she was shocked by the outcome. 'I think it was unjust. I don't think (Mr Hehir) deserved that,' she said.
'If he doesn't do what he did, anything could have happened to me. I felt so guilty. I felt that it was my fault - I caused all this.'
The case has triggered a wave of public and political support for Mr Hehir, with more than 125,000 people signing a petition calling for justice and a GoFundMe page raising more than £28,000.
Mark Hehir had worked as a London bus driver for Metroline for two years when, on June 25, 2024, he was driving the 206 bus between Wembley and Maida Vale in north-west London
Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, David Lammy said Mr Hehir 'is of course a hero and deserves our support', adding: 'I'm following this case very closely.'
Shadow justice minister Kieran Mullan also backed the former driver, saying: 'I think Metroline need to come out and apologise, Mark deserves an apology, it's quite clear they've gotten this wrong.'
Mr Hehir, who is originally from Limerick but lives in north London, was invited to Parliament on Tuesday and watched proceedings from the public gallery.
He has previously told the Daily Mail the incident left him hospitalised for six days after he was bitten during the struggle, requiring two operations due to infection.
'I spent six days in hospital - I got an infection in my arm, I had to have two operations, while still working for the company under their pay. No-one ever rang to ask how I was,' he said. 'It's disgraceful; you could ask how my welfare is.'
He added: 'I ended up in ICU; I had two operations on my hand because of the infection; I was very, very close to losing my hand; I quote the surgeon; probably in the next three days if I didn't get it seen to at the time.'
Mr Hehir said the ordeal had tarnished a job he loved and that he does not consider himself a hero, despite the public support.
'I've always felt I was justified in my actions, and it just seems that 99.5% of people agree with me,' he said. 'I'm actually looking for negative responses, and I just can't find any; everywhere there's thousands of messages.'
He has since found work in a pub in Wembley, with the help of a friend.