UPDATE: Man comes forward after police appeal over 'bus attack'

POLICE have spoken to a man they wanted to trace after a pensioner was reportedly violently kicked off a bus in Christchurch.

The local victim, who is in his 70s, was targeted after boarding the Yellow Buses 1A service in Barrack Road at 9.20am on Monday 7th October.

Police said the pensioner had got on despite being told by the driver that he could not use his bus pass for another 10 minutes.

When the driver told the victim to leave so he could continue, another man picked up the pensioner’s walking aid and hat and threw them off the bus onto the pavement.

The victim got off the bus to retrieve the items and, as he attempted to step back on board, the offender kicked him in the stomach. This caused him to fall back onto the pavement and hit his head on the ground.

Two boys, who were in the area at the time, helped the victim to his feet. He then waited at the stop before getting onto a second bus.

He suffered a cut to his head which was later treated in hospital, said police.

Officers investigating the attack initially released a CCTV image and urged people to come forward if they recognised the suspect.

The image was later withdrawn when a man in his 40s came forward to help police with their enquiries. He was not arrested.

Yellow Buses managing director David Squire expressed the company’s support towards the investigation.

“We would urge anyone with information to contact the police,” he said.

“Our priority is for the safety of our passengers and our staff. We always works with investigating authorities to identify suspects, which is one of the reasons our buses are fitted with CCTV.”

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 55190159218, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Updated on 19th November 2019 following a man contacting police over the incident