A Mitcham man who chased a hit-and-run bus driver who scraped his van and drove off says he is furious about the way he has been treated.

Tony Kelly, from Haselmere Avenue, was horrified when he saw the No 200 bus hit his van, which was parked outside his house just after midnight on Sunday, May 11.

Mr Kelly said: "I was just watching television and I heard a big bang. All the alarms went off on my van. I looked out of the window and saw the bus had hit my van and was lodged against it. The bus driver was juddering forward and back to get it off. He then drove off. Parts of the van were scattered all over the road.

"I was still in my slippers so I grabbed my shoes and me and my son followed him in my son's car to Queen's Road in Wimbledon.

"When he stopped at the bus stop I got out and approached him and asked him about it but he denied it, even though you could see the paintwork from my van all down the side of the bus."

"I use the van for work and it is my livelihood. I was annoyed that he just drove off. That could have been a cyclist he hit."

The incident was reported to Wimbledon police who are looking into it. Mitcham Belle said it was also carrying out an investigation into the incident.

Customer liaison manager Kevin Quinton said: "The driver involved has been traced and we are conducting an enquiry into the matter. The enquiry is still going on.

"It may result in disciplinary proceedings but we cannot say at this stage. It is a serious incident that has occurred so we want to investigate it properly."

May 29, 2003 10:31