The dramatic intervention by a group of heroic bus passengers, who thwarted a kidnapping attempt involving a teenage girl, has been captured in gripping footage. The incident unfolded as the 17-year-old was making her way home after a shift at a theater, only to be followed by a Sudanese migrant named Abdulmawal Ibrahim Adam.

The situation escalated when Adam persistently tried to engage the teenager in conversation. Despite her attempts to distance herself, his aggressive pursuit left her frantically signaling to passing cars for assistance.

The tense moment, captured on video, shows Adam attempting to seize the visibly terrified young woman, attempting to pull her across the street as she struggled to escape his grasp.

In a turn of events that restored faith in human kindness, passengers from a nearby bus witnessed the altercation and sprang into action. They rushed to aid the teenager, successfully driving off her determined abductor.

But the scuffle and her screams are noticed by hero bus passengers who jump off and come to her rescue – chasing her would-be kidnapper away.  

Those members of the public have now been commended for their bravery after stopping the attempted kidnap in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Adam then ran off before he tried engaging with another woman and attempted to follow her before she also got away from him.

Adam, 28, a Sudanese national living in Swindon, was jailed for four years and one month after admitting the attempted kidnap.

He will serve an extended licence totalling seven years. The victim told Swindon Crown Court: ‘I remember how I was before this happened.

In March, Adam tried to engage with the terrified 17-year-old girl multiple times and when she crossed the road he ran towards her before grabbing her and violently dragging her back

‘It was like I wasn’t even aware that bad things could happen in the world, and I felt confident in myself to walk out the house every day at any time of day or night.

‘I remember not being afraid to be outside or to constantly think about people’s intentions around me while in public.

‘I never would have believed this had happened to me and I never fully connected myself to when women say they don’t feel safe to walk at night, but I understand now.’

George Threlfall, prosecuting, told the court that bus passengers heard the victim screaming and one witness said he saw a young woman stood with a ‘lad with his arms over her upper body dragging her across the road, looking petrified and screaming continuously and loudly.’

He said her screams could be heard over the sound of the engine and she was trying to break free, but Adam had a tight grip on her with both of his hands and he was not letting go.

The witness, along with another man, jumped off the bus to intervene and Adam ran off.

Meanwhile, another member of the public heard the victim shouting ‘help, help, someone please help’ and she went over to speak to her, before leaving her with the bus passengers and following Adam.

She described him lingering in the vicinity of the court and she approached him on the pretext of asking for directions to a Chinese takeaway, but she recorded him on her mobile phone.

Police were later able to use that evidence to identify and arrest Adam, helping to convict him.

Before sentencing Adam, Judge Taylor said: ‘People were sufficiently shocked and alarmed but they intervened, you however were smiling as if you had done nothing wrong.

‘In contrast, the look on the victim’s face was described as pure fear.

‘You subsequently ran off, but you were later identified by mobile phone footage from a passerby who used her initiative to create a pretext to film you. I cannot say what your ultimate intentions were.

‘But that unknown is what makes this so sinister and concerning. Her fear and the fear of witnesses range from torture to rape.

‘This would have been even more terrifying than it was if it was not for the willingness of strangers to step in and protect. I commend them.’

He added: ‘In my judgment, you would have dragged her further had you not been intercepted.’

In a statement, the victim added: ‘I hope you get locked up because I know if you were out in the world, I wouldn’t feel safe and I’d worry you’d do this again to another young girl.

‘Worry that if you do this to another girl who isn’t able to get away, like I was, then she’d have a worse fate.

‘The world has too many people like you. Although you are one of many, the world gets a little safer with every person locked away.

‘You’d be doing the world a favour by being locked up from all the good, genuine, innocent people of the world. Young girls, women, sisters, best friends, girlfriends, daughters, will be just that little bit safer with you away.’

The woman who filmed Adam and the man who ran off the bus to stop him were awarded the High Sheriff Award by Judge Taylor, meaning they will be given £500 each as a recognition of their courage.

Investigating officer DC Anna McCormack, from Swindon CID, said: ‘I’d like to again pay tribute to the victim for the immense bravery and strength she has shown throughout this process, and to thank the members of the public who intervened to stop this incident potentially being far worse than it was.

‘Adam displayed predatory behaviour towards a number of women, firstly the victim in this case, then another woman passing by, and finally towards a witness to his attempted kidnap.

‘This is completely unacceptable.’