A teenage yob who attacked a bus driver at traffic lights because he was not allowed to get off before his stop has been jailed.

Hounslow teenager Hady Jalloh, of Norman Crescent, admitted punching and kicking the driver in the face on the 111 bus in Hounslow. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Blackfriars Crown Court on Tuesday.

During the attack the handbrake came off and the bus rolled across Bath Road smashing into traffic lights.

Jalloh started screaming at the bus driver in Cranford High Street after he was not allowed out at the traffic lights, the 19-year-old dragged his victim from the cab, punched him in the face and kicked him in the head.

After the bus crashed, Jalloh fled the scene but was caught out after CCTV was circulated around Hounslow police officers - who recognised the yob.

Jalloh was arrested at home for the attack on December 21.

Nick Owen, head of bus enforcement at Transport for London said: "Nobody should be made to feel fearful in the workplace and it is unfortunate that aggressive behaviour from passengers happens from time to time, as our staff are simply trying to do their job.

"This 15 month jail sentence is good and should serve as a reminder to anyone who thinks they can get away with this sort of behaviour that we will always push for the strongest possible penalties.

“Hopefully Jalloh will have plenty of time behind bars to reflect on his actions and reconsider before behaving in such a way again."

TfL is distributing saliva DNA kits to all London Buses operators and is providing training to each operator so that bus drivers are properly briefed on how to use the kits which have been introduced to tackle abuse on bus workers, and in particular spitting.

The Metropolitan Police will then process any samples handed in by bus drivers at police stations, and the kits themselves contain sterile collection swabs, rubber gloves and an evidence bag.

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