A man arrested in connection with the notorious “Putney pusher” case has been released under investigation, the Metropolitan Police have said.

The 44-year-old man was arrested at his home in west London on 15 June on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm following a decade-long manhunt. He was then rearrested over allegations of drug offences.

It comes after a female pedestrian, who has never been named, was shoved into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in 2017.

The woman, who was 33 at the time, sustained a few minor injuries after the bus driver’s quick reaction meant he missed her head by inches.

At the time, police interviewed more than 50 men and arrested three suspects, but the case was closed in 2018, and no one was ever charged.

A Met spokesperson said: “On Monday, 15 June, a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm.

“The arrest relates to an incident on 5 May 2017, where a woman was pushed into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in Putney.

“Once in police custody, he was also arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A and Class B drugs.

“He has since been released under investigation while enquiries continue.”

The initial incident took place during rush hour at 7.40am when the woman was crossing Putney Bridge, in southwest London, towards a nearby Tube station.

CCTV footage that went viral at the time shows a jogger forcefully shoving the woman to his right with both of his hands into the path of a double-decker bus.

Around 15 minutes later, he passed the victim as she was receiving help on the bridge and ignored her calls for him to stop.

The Met Police described him as being a white man in his early to mid-30s, with short brown hair and a stocky build. He was wearing dark blue shorts, trainers and a grey T-shirt.

Bus driver Oliver Salbris, who swerved at the last minute, told the : “If I hadn’t swerved, I would have smashed her head.

“It was reflex. The consequences would have been terrible for her – and for me.”

Sergeant Matt Knowles, the investigating officer from Putney Safer Neighbourhood Team, said at the time: “The victim was put in extreme danger when she was knocked into the road.

“It was only due to the superb quick reactions of the bus driver that she was not hit by the vehicle.”