Quick-thinking by Jose Dias prevented a catastrophe in West End Lane

A binman has been praised after his quick-thinking actions prevented a runway van from causing a catastrophe in Kilburn.

Jose Dias was driving a dustbin lorry in West End Lane when he noticed the van rolling backwards downhill towards him with the driver chasing after it last week.

The worker for Veolia Environmental Services turned his lorry to the right blocking the road and stopping the van from running away any further.

He said: “When I saw the van rolling down the hill at quite a speed my first thought was to make sure my team were safe and that no one would get hurt. I knew I had to do something quickly to block the road so I swung the vehicle around to ensure it couldn’t go any further.

“It’s just part of the job protecting the public and something I am proud to do!”

Pascal Hauret, Veolia’s regional director London, said: “Due to Jose’s quick manoeuvre an accident was prevented from a busy junction where a lot of pedestrians cross the road.

“We train our staff to keep the public safe and Jose is a shining example of this!”