A man has been arrested and charged after allegedly attacking a bus driver in Linwood last night.

The attack happened just after 9pm on the corner of Linwood Avenue and Hereford Street.

An eyewitness told Chris Lynch she saw the attack and called police immediately.

She says officers arrived three minutes later and managed to arrest the agitated offender.

The eyewitness says the bus driver’s head was bleeding.

She says another bus driving in the opposite direction stopped to see what was happening.

A Canterbury police spokeswoman confirmed they received a report of a person with a knife behaving aggressively toward a bus driver.

Police arrested a 36-year-old man, who has been charged with common assault and possessing a knife in a public place.

He is due to appear in Christchurch District Court on 7 August.

The police spokeswoman says there’s no indication ambulance was required.

Environment Canterbury runs the bus service, and the organisation has been asked to comment on the attack.

The eye witness says “police were outstanding.”

“They arrived before we got off the phone to 111 and were kind and looked after drivers and the passenger who initially intervened to stop the attack.”