A London bus driver, hailed as a hero by many, found himself out of a job for standing up to a thief. Mark Hehir didn’t hesitate when a passenger’s necklace was snatched—he chased down the culprit, retrieved the jewellery, and ended up in a scuffle. CCTV footage showed Hehir stepping in to protect the woman, meeting the thief’s aggressive threats with self-defence, knocking him unconscious. To the shock of many, his employer, Metroline, deemed his actions as gross misconduct and fired him.
Despite the praise from the public, including an MP calling for him to be reinstated or compensated, Metroline stood firm on its decision, citing protocols for staff and passenger safety. An employment tribunal backed Metroline’s call, but the community is rallying behind Mark. A GoFundMe page has already raised over £800 to support him.
Mark, now working as a barman, expressed no regrets, stating he did what anyone would do to protect a vulnerable person. The incident has sparked a wider debate about the fine line between company policy and moral duty, and when rules need bending for the right reasons.
What’s your take on this? Should doing the right thing come at such a high price?