// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho investigated Putney Pusher? The shove division.
Putney Pusher | |
|---|---|
 Putney Pusher suspect on CCTV | |
Wanted by | Metropolitan Police |
| Wanted since | 5 May 2017 |
| Details | |
| Victims | 1 |
| Date | 5 May 2017 7:40 am |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Locations | Putney Bridge, London |
| Killed | 0 |
| Injured | 1 |
The Putney Pusher is an unidentified male who, unprovoked, pushed a woman into the path of oncoming traffic on Putney Bridge, London, on 5 May 2017. The woman narrowly avoided being struck by a bus. CCTV footage of the incident was released in August 2017 and subsequently went viral. Despite efforts to identify the man, the Metropolitan Police closed the case in June 2018, stating that all leads had been exhausted.
In June 2026, a 44-year-old man, later identified as Nicholas Brandram, was arrested on "suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm" in connection with the case. He died at his home in September 2026. His family said that he was not responsible for the incident.
Incident
[edit]At around 7:40 am on Friday, 5 May 2017, an unidentified male jogger pushed a woman onto the road with his right hand, in front of a double-decker bus operating route 430 travelling south on Putney Bridge, London.[1][2][3][4] The bus swerved, narrowly avoiding her.[5] The jogger continued running.[1]
The woman, aged 33, sustained minor injuries.[6][7] The bus stopped and passengers assisted her.[8] Fifteen minutes later, the man jogged back across the bridge. The woman attempted to confront him, but he ignored her and continued north along the River Thames.[3][9][10] The bus driver, Oliver Salbris, later said that he attributed the swerve to reflex and believed the woman could have been seriously harmed had he not reacted in time.[5]
On 7 August 2017, the Metropolitan Police released CCTV footage of the incident.[9] The footage attracted international attention and went viral online.[1] Police reported receiving a "huge response" from the public with information about the man's identity.[11] In September 2017, they released further images of the suspect.[1]
Media reaction
[edit]The release of the footage prompted widespread discussion and public anger.[10][12] The jogger was dubbed the "Putney Pusher" by the media.[4] Commentators debated possible motives, including so‑called "jogger rage", misogyny, and violence against women.[12] Matthew Weaver of The Guardian wrote that the jogger had become "a national hate figure".[13] The case also attracted significant attention from online amateur investigators, particularly on Reddit.[4]
In 2021, playwright Sonya Kelly wrote Once Upon a Bridge, a 90‑minute play inspired by the incident. It presents the perspectives of the bus driver, the jogger, and the victim.[14][15] Police said they hoped the play might encourage people with information to come forward.[10]
Investigation
[edit]The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s with short brown hair and brown eyes.[16][17] He was wearing a light grey T-shirt, dark blue shorts, and grey trainers at the time of the incident.[3]
On 10 August 2017, a man was arrested but released two days later after providing evidence that he had been in the United States at the time.[9] By September, the suspect had still not been identified.[18] Former DCI Peter Kirkham attributed the lack of progress to budget cuts and a shortage of detectives.[18]
More than 50 people were questioned during the investigation,[5] and three individuals were detained, all of whom were later released.[17] The Metropolitan Police closed the case in June 2018,[6] stating that all leads had been exhausted.[17] The failure to identify the suspect was considered unusual given the extensive CCTV coverage in London and the high level of public interest.[4] It became a notorious cold case in London.[19]
Arrest and death of suspect
[edit]
On 15 June 2026, Nicholas Brandram, a 44-year-old man, was arrested at his home in Chiswick on "suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm" in connection with the attack,[2][6] nine years after the incident, after new information came to light.[10][20][21] He was also arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A and Class B drugs.[22] The arrest was announced by the Metropolitan Police,[2] and he was bailed later the same day.[23] In September, it was reported that he had been released under investigation.[24][21] He had been a decorated former British Army captain who served in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq, and was a descendant of Queen Victoria as the grandson of Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark.[25][26] In 2013, Brandram was convicted of crashing his Harley-Davidson motorbike into a female cyclist near Hyde Park Corner and leaving the scene without providing his details.[27]
Brandram was found dead at his home in Chiswick on 15 September 2026.[28] His family released a statement on 17 September, saying that he died by suicide "after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation" and that there was no forensic evidence connecting him to the case. On the same day, the Metropolitan Police referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct regarding the force's dealings with Brandram before his death.[29]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Hassan, Jennifer (28 June 2018). "A mystery jogger shoved a woman into the path of a bus. The case is now closed — and unsolved". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Evans, Holly (15 June 2026). "Man arrested in notorious 'Putney Pusher' case". The Independent. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Evans, Martin (13 September 2017). "Police release fresh images of the 'Putney Pusher'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Garcia, Francisco (14 October 2021). "The Unsolved Mystery of the Putney Pusher". WIRED. Archived from the original on 20 December 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Arrest over push of woman into bus's path in 2017". BBC News. 15 June 2026. Archived from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Man, 44, arrested nine years after woman shoved in front of bus in 'Putney Pusher' case". Sky News. 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ "Arrested man denies being Putney Bridge bus-push jogger". BBC News. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Grierson, Jamie (10 August 2017). "Putney Bridge jogger: man arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Putney Bridge jogger push suspect eliminated from inquiry". BBC News. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Weaver, Matthew (15 June 2026). "Man arrested over 2017 'Putney pusher' incident on south-west London bridge". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ "'Huge response' in hunt for Putney Bridge jogger". BBC News. 9 August 2017. Archived from the original on 25 August 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 Baxter, Holly (11 August 2017). "Let's start asking the right questions about the jogger who pushed a woman in front of a bus, rather than the ridiculous ones". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Weaver, Matthew (28 June 2018). "Putney Bridge jogger investigation closed". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Meany, Helen (12 February 2021). "Once Upon a Bridge review – three worlds collide in near-death drama". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Thorpe, Vanessa (6 April 2024). "Police hope new play about the 'Putney Pusher' can help restart investigation". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ "New Putney Bridge push jogger image released by police". BBC News. 13 September 2017. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Putney Bridge jogger assault investigation closed". BBC News. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 Lusher, Adam (27 September 2017). "Putney Bridge jogger: Why haven't police found the man who pushed a woman into a bus lane yet?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Wright, Robert; Aliaj, Ortenca (15 June 2026). "Met officers make arrest over notorious 'Putney pusher' cold case". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Montgomery, Samuel (15 June 2026). "Millionaire banker arrested nine years after Putney pusher attack". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- 1 2 Russell, Herbie (16 September 2026). "Nicholas Brandram, suspected Putney pusher, found dead at home". The Times. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ Foster, Aurelia (16 June 2026). "Man bailed after woman pushed into path of bus". BBC News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ Watts, Matt; Cecil, Nicholas (16 June 2026). "Bailed: Millionaire banker arrested in hunt for notorious 'Putney Pusher' who shoved woman in front of London bus". The London Standard. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ Boucher, Harriette (7 September 2026). "Man arrested in 'Putney pusher' case released under investigation". The Independent. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
- ↑ Russell, Herbie (16 September 2026). "Nicholas Brandram, suspected Putney pusher, found dead at home". The Times. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ Martin, Amy-Clare (16 September 2026). "Nicholas Brandram: 'Putney pusher' suspect was Queen Victoria descendant and banker". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 September 2026. Retrieved 17 September 2026.
- ↑ Grierson, Jamie (17 September 2026). "Nicholas Brandram's family deny he was 'Putney pusher' and say Met police pressure led to his death". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ Dodd, Vikram (16 September 2026). "Suspect in 'Putney pusher' case found dead at his west London home". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ "Family of 'Putney pusher' suspect say he took his own life due to investigation - as Met refers itself to watchdog". Sky News. 17 September 2026. Retrieved 17 September 2026.