'Dangerous' bus backflip dancers criticised

Suited performers who were filmed doing backflips against the front of London buses have been criticised by transport authorities.

The men, who also did handstands on top of bus stops and used scaffolding as monkey bars, are so-called "free runners" – urban gymnasts who use city architecture as their equipment.

Their athletic performances, which were part of a new Nissan promotion, impressed queuing commuters at Waterloo station.



But they drew the wrath of Transport for London. "Safety of bus passengers and road users is paramount," a TfL spokesman said. "This may look harmless fun, but has the potential to be dangerous."

A Nissan spokesman responded that the public was never put at risk and all the stunts were carried out by professionals. "We had health and safety staff in attendance."

The stunts were filmed to promote the Nissan Qashqai challenge, a mountain bike tournament that took place outside the Tate Modern on London’s South Bank at the weekend.