A woman who filmed a disturbance on a Stagecoach bus on Friday has spoken to the ECHO to “set the record straight” over what happened.
Yesterday, June 18, we reported that three men were thrown off a Stagecoach bus on Friday evening, June 14. Police attended the scene on Whitefield Drive near the Johnny Todd pub in Kirkby, and detained the three men who had been ejected from the bus. We understand the bus service in question was the number 20 bus, not the 17 as previously reported.
A video seen by the ECHO appears to show three men pushing a man, believed to be a bus driver, while women and children flee to the back of the bus to escape the violence.
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Merseyside Police confirmed to the ECHO that officers were contacted just after 6pm following reports of a disturbance on a Stagecoach bus.
The ECHO was originally contacted with allegations regarding an attempted abduction. However, a Merseyside Police spokesperson told the ECHO: “Contrary to suggestions on social media there have been no reports made to us of an attempted abduction and we would ask people not to speculate.”
In an interview with the ECHO, the woman who filmed the incident, professional photographer Stacey Farley, 44, agreed there was no attempted abduction on the bus. However, having witnessed the episode from beginning to end, she wanted to tell people what she saw happen.
On Friday evening, mum-of-two Stacey was travelling alone on the single-decker bus, heading home from work. She sat next to a teenage girl, who was seated next to her mum. A man was sitting directly in front of them, who Stacey claims was “acting oddly”.
She said: “He was sitting in front, but was turned towards them (the mum and daughter), staring at them. It was very awkward. They were trying to ignore him, but he kept getting closer and pushing the boundaries of personal space.”
She continued: “The next thing I know, the mum had slapped the man’s hand away from the daughter and started shouting at him to get away.”
According to Stacey, the man began filming the mum and her daughter. She claims the mum then “slapped his phone away” and it hit the man’s friend, who was sitting nearby. The mum reportedly “started screaming” at the driver to stop the bus, then shielded her daughter as they walked through the vehicle to get to the front.
Stacey claims the man “grabbed something out of his bag and threw it at her (the mum)”. It was at this point, she said, things “really kicked off”.
She said: “It seemed to really scare everyone on the bus. That’s when I started filming.”
Stacey’s video appears to show three men at the front of the bus. Although two seem to have left by the time the video was recorded, the third man appears to be pushing against a man understood to be the bus driver. A woman dressed in black can be heard telling the man: “Go away, get off the bus. This is absolutely ridiculous, just go. There are women and children, just f*** off.”
As the suspect is forced from the bus, he slams his hand, while holding his phone, into a plastic window. As he leaves the bus a voice can be heard saying “he thinks he’s a hard case”. After he is pushed away from the bus, he picks up his phone from the ground and throws it in the direction of the man who ejected him.
A loud bang can be heard, but the video does not show if the phone made contact with the man or a window. People start shouting and screaming and pushing towards the front of the bus, while others shout to close the door.
One woman appears to be calling the police and can be heard saying: “We are on the bus and we’re being attacked”. Another person says “we’ve got a baby on here”. An altercation appears to continue outside the bus, close to two young mums with pushchairs.
According to Stacey, everyone then got off the bus and the driver waited for police to arrive. She said she found the whole episode “disturbing” and “scary” and had never experienced that kind of incident before on public transport.
Merseyside Police said: “Nobody further identified themselves to officers at the scene, or have since come forward, to report being a victim of any crime and enquiries remain ongoing.”
A spokesperson for Stagecoach told the ECHO: “We are aware of an isolated incident that took place onboard our service 17 on Friday, June 14. It is important that customers feel comfortable on their journeys and we take anti-social behaviour very seriously. We are grateful to our driver for providing assistance and alerting the authorities.
“Where it is safe and necessary to do so our drivers will do what they reasonably can to ensure the comfort and safety of our customers. The incident has been reported to Merseyside Police and we will work with them to identify those involved.”
Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 24000530929.
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William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
