<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Qjvga_0w1GYJM600" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Qjvga_0w1GYJM600" width="1024" height="576" > A bus driver who saved a child travelling on his service from being kidnapped has spoken about his heroic intervention. First employee David Copley, from Bradford, was honoured for his quick thinking and selfless actions at the National Transport Awards earlier this month. His bravery enabled police to detain a man who had tried to abduct a 12-year-old boy in October 2023. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Mr Copley said he was “totally flabbergasted” to be named Employee of the Year and added: “This one is for all bus drivers. They do so much every day that passengers might not notice.” Mr Copley, a bus driver of 19 years, had stopped his vehicle in the city centre when he saw the child disembark, followed by an adult male passenger who was behaving suspiciously. He saw the man put his arms around the boy's shoulder and force him to walk towards an alleyway. He noticed that the child looked frightened as he looked back towards the bus. Mr Copley left the cab and asked the boy if he knew the man, who claimed that they were travelling together. When the boy said he did not, the driver challenged the man, who ran off. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> He took the child back onto the bus and called police, then chased after the man, cornering him down an alleyway and directing officers to the location. Within 10 minutes, West Yorkshire Police had made an arrest and they later charged the suspect with attempted kidnap of a minor. However, at court the case was discontinued. The boy was also reunited with his mother soon after the incident. Mr Copley has five children and some of them started taking the bus to school this September. He said: “I like to think that the drivers will be looking out for them.” Listen to highlights from <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/curation/p0cjdv3n?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds </a> , catch up with the latest <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj5m?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> episode of Look North </a> or tell us a story you think <a href="mailto:yorkshirestories@bbc.co.uk" rel="nofollow"> we should be covering here </a> . <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><h2> More on this story </h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wjk9p4v5go?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> More bus drivers suspended over social media posts </a></li><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c23ll81475go?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> Bus driver suspended over Facebook 'hate' posts </a></li></ul><h2> Related internet links </h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.firstbus.co.uk/" rel="nofollow"> First Bus </a></li></ul></div></body>

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Hero bus driver saved child from being kidnapped

First employee wins national award for his intervention in frightening incident in city centre.

Hero bus driver saved child from being kidnapped

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