Partner at Mayfair equity firm denies Putney jogger attack after arrest

A partner at Mayfair equity firm Hunter Collins has denied any wrongdoing after being arrested in suspicion of being the jogger who pushed a woman under a bus on Putney bridge.

Eric Bellquist (41) was arrested by Metropolitan police after CCTV footage surfaced of a male jogger shoving a woman dangerously close to the bus in south west London.

The woman was narrowly missed by the bus as its driver swerved towards oncoming traffic.

Bellquist’s legal team have denied that he is the man shown in the footage, saying that there is 'irrefutable proof' that the banker was in the US at the time of the incident.

A public appeal was launched by the Met earlier this week in a bid to identify the jogger.

"Our client has been wrongly implicated in this matter; he categorically denies being the individual concerned and has irrefutable proof that he was in the United States at the time of the incident.

"Consequently, we expect a swift resolution to this wholly untrue allegation."

Bellquist is a non-executive director on the board of Hunter Collins, which owns restaurant chains Wagamama and Byron.

A spokesperson for Scotland Yard said on Friday they were continuing their investigation into the incident.

"A 50-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm following police inquiries at an address in the Chelsea area on the morning of Thursday, 10 August.

"He was taken to a south London police station for questioning. He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries."