'Putney Pusher' Suspect 'Released Under Investigation'
44-year-old man had also been arrested for drug offences
The Putney Pusher has escaped justice for nearly a decade. Picture: Met Police
September 8, 2026
A man arrested in connection with the notorious “Putney Pusher” case has been released under investigation, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed. This marks the latest development in a long-running inquiry that has gripped public attention for nearly a decade.
The 44-year-old man was previously arrested at his west London home on 15 June on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm after detectives said they had acted on “new information received”. The arrest was the first major breakthrough since the case was formally closed in 2018. He was later rearrested on suspicion of possession of Class A and Class B drugs. The police have not specified which of these offences they are continuing to investigate.
The man, described in national media at the time as a “millionaire banker”, has not been named by police, and responsible news organisations have not identified him. Under English and Welsh law, individuals arrested but not charged have a reasonable expectation of privacy, following a landmark ruling relating to the BBC’s coverage of false allegations made against Sir Cliff Richard.
The Putney Pusher incident took place on 5 May 2017 at around 7.40am, when a female pedestrian was shoved by a male jogger into the path of a double-decker bus as she crossed Putney Bridge. CCTV footage showed the woman falling directly into the bus’s path before the driver swerved sharply, missing her head by inches. The jogger, wearing a grey T-shirt, continued running and returned along the bridge around 15 minutes later, ignoring the woman’s attempts to confront him.
The victim, then aged 33, sustained minor injuries, and the footage sparked national outrage and global media coverage. Despite extensive publicity and a major police appeal, the case remained unsolved. Detectives interviewed more than 50 men and arrested three suspects, including an American investment banker later ruled out after proving he was in the United States at the time. The investigation was closed in 2018 with no charges brought.
Police say the recent arrest followed new information that prompted them to reopen the case. A Met spokesperson said: “On Monday, 15 June, a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. The arrest relates to an incident on 5 May 2017, where a woman was pushed into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in Putney. Once in police custody, he was also arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A and Class B drugs. He has since been released under investigation while enquiries continue.”
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