The London Assembly has demanded an apology from Mayor Sadiq Khan following the controversial dismissal of a bus driver.
Assembly members unanimously passed a motion on Thursday, hailing Mark Hehir as a “hero” and calling for a full investigation into his sacking.
The motion urged Sir Sadiq Khan and Transport for London to “apply pressure to Metroline to reinstate Mr Hehir or provide appropriate compensation”, alongside establishing “clear guidance for transport workers protecting passengers”.
Mr Hehir, 62, was fired by Metroline after he pursued a thief who had snatched a passenger’s necklace.
He subsequently knocked the individual out in self-defence when they returned.
The assembly’s vote follows Mr Hehir’s earlier remarks, where he labelled the mayor’s silence on the incident as “disappointing”.
London Assembly member Keith Prince, who brought forward the motion, said: “This is not about encouraging reckless behaviour.
“It is about whether we are comfortable with a system that punishes frontline workers for stepping in when crime happens right in front of them.
“By supporting this motion unanimously, the Assembly has sent a clear message that public concern, common sense, and fairness still matter.”
The Mayor of London will have to formally respond to the assembly, however he does not have to accept the recommendations.
Earlier this week shadow justice minister Dr Kieran Mullan, shadow transport minister Richard Holden and Ms Hall wrote to Sir Khan to demand “serious consideration of reinstatement or appropriate compensation”.
The Conservatives have said they will bring forward proposals to introduce good samaritan protections in civil law for both employers and employees.
More than 135,000 people have signed a petition in support of the bus driver, which was launched after an employment tribunal upheld Metroline’s decision to sack the bus driver, a ruling first reported by the Press Association.
In another sign of public support for him, a GoFundMe page for Mr Hehir has raised more than £40,000 and Justice Secretary David Lammy said that Mr Hehir is “a hero and deserves our support”.
In an interview this week, Mr Hehir said that he would like an apology from Metroline as well as compensation for lost earnings, but did not want his job back.
A Metroline spokesperson previously said: “The tribunal has upheld the dismissal as fair.”
The Mayor of London has been approached for comment.
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