Police respond to hundreds of incidents at Elgin bus station since death of Stagecoach driver

New figures have laid bare the extent of anti-social behaviour at Elgin bus station in the years following a fatal attack on a Stagecoach driver.

In February 2024, Keith Rollinson died after he was assaulted by a 15-year-old boy, whom he had refused to let board his bus as he was drunk.

The 58-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and later died in hospital.

The teenager was sentenced to four years and four months in custody over Mr Rollison’s culpable homicide, but was released earlier this year.

Mr Rollinson’s widow, Sue Rollinson, told STV News ahead of his early release that she was “devastated” as she believed the teen’s original sentence was too short for having taken a life.

Two and a half years after the incident, figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request have revealed that police have dealt with hundreds of incidents at the bus station since Mr Rollison’s death.

According to the data, 270 incidents were recorded up to September 2026, of which 199 were attended by officers.

The most common call-outs were:

Public nuisance – 56
Concern for person – 35
Disturbance – 34
Assist member of the public – 24
Assault – 18
Police information – 10
Drugs/substance misuse – 7
Child protection – 5
Missing person/absconder – 4
Theft – 4
Sexual offences – 3
Hate crime – 2

September 2024 was the busiest month at Elgin bus station, with police recording ten incidents, including seven reports on a single day.

In addition to September, February and November 2024 also had ten incidents, with February 2025 at nine and May 2026 at seven.

Despite hundreds of incidents at the bus station, only 51 resulted in a crime report being raised, while others were welfare-related or anti-social behaviour.

Drivers face ‘escalating levels of abuse’

While figures from between 2024 and 2026 have dropped, Moray-based MSP Tim Eagle said they remain “alarmingly high” because offenders do not fear being caught.

He added: “Elgin Bus Station should be safe and welcoming for everyone, but it is deeply concerning to hear the levels of intimidation and abuse both drivers and other staff are having to face for simply doing their jobs.

“The tragic events which resulted in the death of Keith Rollinson were a stark and heartbreaking reminder of the risks drivers face from escalating levels of abuse at work.

“Yet despite this, the SNP’s soft-touch approach to crime and reluctance to confiscate bus passes is threatening public safety and placing even more pressure on our already underfunded police.

“Bus drivers should get the same protection from violence as emergency workers.

“Rather than leaving drivers and passengers at the mercy of offenders, it’s time for government ministers to put a stop to this by showing they are serious about punishing criminal behaviour at bus stations like Elgin.”

The Scottish Government is expected to introduce a “code of conduct” in the coming months, which, if passengers fail to adhere to, could result in their free bus pass being suspended or revoked.

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.