Moment wheelchair user shocks witnesses by clinging to moving police van in 'Back To The Future'-style stunt

Daily Mail​

11-07-2025

This is the shocking moment a wheelchair user was captured clinging onto the back of a police van in a 'Back To The Future'-style stunt.
Stunned onlookers watched on as a person in a wheelchair appeared to be pulled along by the moving police vehicle for around 10 seconds before eventually letting go and casually waving to the officers.
The alarming footage, shared to social media platform TikTok with the caption 'Welcome to Bolton', was recorded on Monday, July 7, on Bark Street, located in the heart of the Greater Manchester town.
Zohib Hussain, who filmed the bizarre incident as he watched it unfold, was on his break at work when he first caught glimpse of the wheelchair user grabbing the back of the police van from his office window.
Reflecting on the unique sight, the 28-year-old said: 'I was on my break and just looking out the office window, and I saw this guy in the wheelchair hang on to the police van.
'My initial thought was it was funny, but it was also dangerous at the same time, as a car from the other side could have turned in and hit him.'
Social media users were quick to react to the unusual video, which has amassed more than 227,000 views, with one user commenting, 'This was a weird version of Back To The Future', while another jokingly quipped: 'That's one way of getting away with MOT, tax and insurance'.
Other viewers praised the quick-thinking man for his attempt at 'trying to get a free ride', with one commenter remarking: 'That's when you know that buses have got too expensive'.
Meanwhile, another added: 'Wait for the blue lights to come on and he's going like 60mph'.
It comes after a group of eight youths were arrested as part of a police crackdown on a growing number of individuals found to be 'hanging on' to moving tram units.
On Monday, June 2023, the youngsters had been allegedly caught riding on the 'coupling units' that connect trams in Manchester City Centre together, alongside on the back of buses.
They were arrested by Greater Manchester Police's transport unit and detained on suspicion of public order offences.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have previously warned about a concerning nationwide increase in so-called 'tram surfing' and 'bus surfing' following viral social media videos.
The organisation added that between January and May this year there have been 108 reported incidents - compared to 80 seen across the region's bus and Metrolink network across 2024.
Daniel Vaughan, TfGM's chief network officer, said the force were 'aware of a worrying rise in reports' of 'mostly youths riding between trams and hanging off the back of buses with footage of these reckless incidents circulating on social media'.
Mr Vaughan added: 'This incredibly dangerous behaviour could have catastrophic consequences, and these arrests demonstrate our zero-tolerance approach to crime and antisocial behaviour on public transport.
'Unfortunately, we have seen people die as a result of falling between trams having climbed onto an auto coupler, and we want to prevent this from happening again.
'We would urge parents and guardians to speak to their children about the dangers of participating in this kind of behaviour and for schools to highlight the danger to pupils.
'Anyone caught in engaging in dangerous activities are not only taking their own lives in their hands, but they will also face very real consequences when they are caught.'