# West London’s Phantom Number 7 Bus Predates Fatal 1934 Crash

2026-08-15T10:42:38+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

A phantom Number 7 bus legend in North Kensington, West London, appears to predate the fatal 1934 road crash often linked to it. On June 12, 1934, 25-year-old Beaton died after his car collided with a Rolls-Royce at the junction of Cambridge Gardens and St Mark’s Road. His passenger, Margaret Sim, was injured. An inquest recorded accidental death and cleared the Rolls-Royce’s chauffeur, George Pink. Research by historian Jonathan Miles suggests the ghost-bus tale began around 1931 or 1932. Later accounts described a brightly lit, empty double-decker appearing late at night before vanishing. There is no solid contemporary evidence that Beaton swerved to avoid such a bus. The real Number 7 route adds plausibility, but its historical route may not have matched later claims.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/travel/adventures/the-ghost-bus-of-west-london-the-chilling-story-of-the-phantom-no-7-that-appeared-without-a-driver-and-became-linked-to-a-fatal-1934-crash/articleshow/133259011.cms>

Tags: Ladbroke Grove, London, North Kensington
Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/west-londons-phantom-number-7-bus-predates-fatal-1934-crash/
License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources.
Cite: https://indianopinion.org/west-londons-phantom-number-7-bus-predates-fatal-1934-crash/#story-in-brief

Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.