Trent Barton bus stolen while driver was on a break and driven around Nottingham

A stolen bus being driven recklessly forced a car to veer out of its way, leaving it with burst tyres.

The Trent Barton bus was parked in Nottingham while the driver was on a break.

He was away from the vehicle for 25 minutes on Friday 4 August, but when he returned to his parking spot on Peveril Drive near Castle Boulevard just after 8pm, he discovered the bus had vanished.

The purple Indigo Trent Barton bus normally travels from Nottingham city centre to Long Eaton, then on to Derby.

On this occasion, just before 8pm, there was an incident near Maid Marian Way where the stolen bus forced the driver of a silver Volkswagen Golf to veer out of its way, causing the car’s tyres to burst.

The bus was recovered just after 8pm and now police have released images of a man they want to speak to.

PC Matthew Fisher, who is investigating the incident, said: “This was a reckless and extremely dangerous theft. Bus drivers go through rigorous training to ensure they can operate these vehicles.

“We have carried out multiple lines of inquiry to ensure the person responsible is caught and held accountable for this offence.

“We are calling on the public’s help to assist us with our inquiries. We have released an image of a man we wish to trace that could help us with our investigation.

“Do you recognise the man in the picture or are you the man on the picture? Please get in touch with us as soon as possible.”