Aussie man Tim Smits stabbed defending London passengers has ‘no regrets’

Tim Smits, the Australian man viciously stabbed after he stood up to a gang abusing a pregnant woman and a pensioner on

an East London bus, said he has no regrets about what happened to him.

The 32-year-old graphic designer sustained stab wounds to his stomach and leg when he went

to the aid of the two women being tormented on the number 488 bus on Wednesday morning.

Smits, an 18-month veteran of London, told the BBC the thugs were harrassing a few people on board the bus,

"I sort of drew the line when they decided to start picking on some elderly women with their shopping trolleys," the courageous Antipodean said.

"The response was 'who you talking to, who you talking to, shut up shut up, I'll spit in your face'."

 Although Smits's challenge was only verbal, one of the suspects came over and stood over him and threatened his life.

"I said 'really? in front of all those

witnesses on the bus in the broad daylight you want to do that with

witnesses'.

"That's when he really scared me by saying 'I don't care – I'll mess you up in front of all these people'."

Mr Smits said he was hit in the head several times before he managed to pin his attacker's arms for a few seconds.

It was then the attacker's friend stabbed him from behind.

News of Smits's actions drew praise from around the world via twitter.

@Thomas McCloskey wrote:The needs to be more Tim Smits in the world!

@bartoni09 tweeted: " .. and I'm sure the rest of you would agree that if the common man was more like Tim Smits, there wouldn't be so much bastardry in the world"

The

second male suspect was white, about 5ft 10in (1.78m) tall, stocky and

was wearing a red T-shirt, black tracksuit bottoms and beanie hat.

The

woman suspect, who was also white, was about 5ft 3in (1.6m) tall, was

wearing white leggings and had dark-brown long curly hair and black

rimmed glasses.