Bus driver suspended as police probe alleged antisemitic false imprisonment
Driver taken off duty after Jewish man alleges abuse and hour-long ordeal locked inside bus
A London bus driver accused of locking a Jewish passenger on board and refusing to return his bank card has been suspended as police open a hate crime investigation.
David Abraham, 52, told Jewish News the confrontation began when his card slipped into a gap beside the driver’s cabin as he tapped to pay on the number 67 route in Stamford Hill on Monday.
He said the driver refused repeated pleas to hand it back, allegedly telling him he “doesn’t like Jewish people” and that he looked like a “Mossad agent”.
Abraham said: ‘I’m scared now to go in the bus… I start to panic, like who is that driver? It affects me.”
He added that the abuse felt particularly painful coming from a fellow Black man: “I was shocked to see another Black man hate me because I’m Jewish. It hurt me deeply.”
Abraham phoned police and waited alone inside the locked vehicle – for what he estimates was around an hour – until officers arrived and retrieved his bank card by opening the driver’s cabin door.
He told Jewish News the experience has left him traumatised: “Since I was young, people discriminate against me for being Jewish… it has followed me my whole life. I didn’t choose to be Jewish – I was born like this.”
The incident took place on a route serving the heart of the Stamford Hill Haredi community.
A TfL spokesperson said: “We are concerned to hear of these allegations and are supporting the bus operator, Arriva, who are investigating. We take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of hate crime.”
Arriva London confirmed the driver has been removed from public service: “We are taking it extremely seriously and we will take all appropriate action once our investigation has concluded… We never tolerate abuse in any of its forms.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “No arrests have been made. An investigation is under way and anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 3847/27OCT25.”
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
