THE BRITISH JUSTICE Secretary has described an Irish bus driver who was sacked after chasing down a thief as a “hero”.

David Lammy today told the House of Commons that Mark Hehir, who is originally from Limerick but now lives in north-west London, “is of course a hero and deserves our support”.

Lammy added: “I’m following this case very closely.”

It comes as the passenger who had their necklace stolen on the bus has said that its driver, Hehir, “didn’t deserve” to be sacked for retrieving it.

Hehir, 62, was fired by Metroline after he chased down a thief who had stolen the jewellery belonging to one of his passengers, Katalin Kaszas.

Kaszas, 46, said that she felt “so guilty” after learning Hehir had lost his job as a result of confronting the thief.

She told the Press Association: “When I was getting on the bus, a young man was getting off on the front door. He was running past me, I thought he was going to push me off the bus. He just grabbed my necklace and ran with it.

“I was like, ‘Why is he there, where is my necklace? Oh damn’. So that’s when I realised what just happened. I saw Mark running out, running after the guy.”

Mark Hehir (right) and Katalin Kaszas, the victim of the robbery, speak with shadow minister for justice Kieran Mullan in the House of Commons Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

But after Hehir gave the necklace back to Kaszas, the thief returned to the bus.

Kaszas said: “The guy was coming up… I was like ‘No, no, no, stay away from me, I don’t want to do anything with you’. He looked very, very shifty, I did not feel comfortable at all.

“I would say I even felt threatened, so I was backing away, and that’s when Mark realised that something is not right here and he stepped in.

“I don’t know where I was in my mind, I saw a punch flying, a guy hitting the floor, there was some blood and then I started to call the police.”

Asked for her reaction to hearing Hehir had been sacked by Metroline, Kaszas said: “I think it was unjust. I don’t think (Hehir) deserved that.

“If he doesn’t do what he did, anything could have happened to me.

“I felt so guilty. I felt that it was my fault – I caused all this.”

More than 125,000 people have signed a petition in support Hehir, which was launched after an employment tribunal upheld Metroline’s decision to sack the bus driver.

In another sign of public support for the former bus driver, a GoFundMe page for Hehir has raised more than £28,000 (€32,400).

Earlier today, Hehir was invited into parliament by shadow justice minister Kieran Mullan.

Mark Hehir (right) meets Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch alongside shadow minister for justice Kieran Mullan (left) in the House of Commons Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Mullan told PA: “I think Metroline need to come out and apologise, Mark deserves an apology, it’s quite clear they’ve gotten this wrong”.

Last week, Press Association reported from the findings of an employment tribunal which found that on 25 June 2024, Hehir was driving the 206 bus, which runs between Wembley and Maida Vale in north-west London.

The tribunal was told the bus driver then responded in self-defence to the thief and hit the man once, knocking him unconscious.

Hehir then restrained the thief on the pavement until police arrived.

Both men were arrested, however Hehir was told he would face no further police action.

A police case review said: “The claimant had used force which was proportionate and necessary in the circumstances in the defence of himself and the female passenger”.

A Metroline spokesperson said: “The tribunal has upheld the dismissal as fair.”