Man bailed after arrest in Putney Pusher assault case

A 44-year-old man has been bailed after his arrest over the Putney Bridge assault that has haunted south-west London for nine years, bringing fresh movement to one of Britain’s most closely watched unsolved cases. Police said the arrest, at a home in west London, was on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm, and the man later remained at the centre of an active investigation while inquiries continued.

The case dates back to 5 May 2017, when a 33-year-old woman was pushed into the road on Putney Bridge at about 7:40 a.m. A route 430 double-decker bus swerved to avoid hitting her, and she escaped with only minor injuries. The incident, captured on CCTV, was released by police shortly afterwards and spread widely online, turning the assault into the so-called Putney Pusher case and drawing intense public attention far beyond London.

Despite that scrutiny, the investigation closed in June 2018 after detectives said they had exhausted all lines of inquiry. Officers had interviewed 50 men and arrested three suspects during the original inquiry, including an American investment banker who was able to prove he was in the United States at the time. For years after the footage went viral, the lack of a charge left the case as a symbol of how difficult it can be to identify a suspect long after an attack has happened.

The renewed police action has reopened public focus on the evidentiary hurdles that can stall a case even when the images are clear. A single act caught on camera does not automatically produce a prosecution, especially when investigators must still establish identity, location and intent to the criminal standard required by the courts. In this case, the passage of time has only made that task more complicated.

Fleur Anderson, the MP for Putney, said the arrest was a significant step forward and said her thoughts were with the woman involved. She also thanked police for persisting with the case over the years. For the victim, the driver who swerved the bus and the wider Putney community, the arrest has revived hopes that a mystery first seared into public memory in 2017 may finally be resolved.