Bus driver cleared of road rage

The number 73 runs from Tottenham to Victoria

A Scottish coach driver who got tired of driving buses in London was wrongly arrested over a road rage incident on his last day at work.

Robert Cruickshank was cleared of dangerous driving after London's Southwark Crown Court heard he was driving a different bus at the time.

He left his North Lanarkshire home for London to take up bus company Arriva's offer of £10 an hour and free accommodation.

But he quickly grew to dislike the job and resigned after six months.

A coach driver is an artist, but a bus driver is just a painter and decorator

Robert Cruickshank

On his last day driving the number 73 bus, he was wrongly accused of trying to run down a motorist.

He was said to have come within inches of crushing Richard Svalon with his double decker on 1 March 2002.

Mr Svalon told the court he stood in front of a number 73 bus to stop the driver leaving, after it clipped his car's wing mirror.

Not guilty

But as he stood with his hands on the radiator the driver slipped into first gear and started to force him back.

Mr Cruickshank, 42, was later arrested and charged with dangerous driving.

But the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty, on Tuesday.

Mr Cruickshank told the court he was just hours away from finishing his last shift when he was supposed to have been involved in the confrontation.

The court heard Mr Cruickshank disliked negotiating London's busy streets saying: "A coach driver is an artist, but a bus driver is just a painter and decorator."