He's a familiar figure driving tourists around the sights of London in his vintage double-decker. But Rail Minister Sir Peter Hendy caused shock on one of his recent tours when he started texting behind the wheel. The former Transport for London commissioner is said to have had two mobiles balanced on the bus dashboard – and during one terrifying moment dropped a phone and tried to retrieve it while still driving. Lord Hendy, 72, was behind the wheel of an old AEC Routemaster on a March 28 charity jaunt across the capital and had 35 passengers onboard. The Labour life peer is a bus enthusiast who owns two Routemasters, on which he regularly takes tourists to raise money for charity. The Metropolitan Police confirmed it was investigating a complaint from a passenger on the bus. Businessman John Sarson, 68, said the minister had his phones on the dashboard during a 90-minute journey from Paddington station to King's Cross station. The £30 tour was advertised on the charity Railway Family's website, with a picture of Lord Hendy grinning broadly behind the wheel of one of his buses. The advert read: 'March 28 – London bus tour with Rail Minister Lord Hendy'. Mr Sarson challenged the minister at the end of the tour, in full view of other passengers and a charity representative. He said he was 'furious' with him for jeopardising the safety of passengers and other road users. Mr Sarson said Lord Hendy 'apologised several times' and looked 'ashen-faced'. 'I was the closest passenger to the driver's cab and I had an unobscured view of what he was doing,' Mr Sarson said. 'At one point he dropped one of the phones and had to bend down to retrieve it from inside the driver's cab while behind the wheel. 'Later on in the journey as we approached Westminster Bridge, I could see Big Ben and he was texting on one of the phones. 'The roads are chaotic around Westminster with cyclists and pedestrians as well as drivers and you really need your wits about you. 'To say I was furious is an understatement. 'I imagine a normal bus driver would be severely disciplined for doing what he did. 'I reported him to the police because the safety of passengers and all other road users is paramount and what I saw was clearly jeopardising that. 'I follow transport issues and safety issues closely and I know he speaks in the Lords on bus safety. The hypocrisy of what I saw was breathtaking.' The penalty for texting or using a phone while driving a car is a £200 fine and six penalty points. But the consequences for a bus driver can include a suspension of their Passenger Carrying Vehicle licence and a maximum fine of £2,500 and six penalty points, along with a potential driving ban. The Metropolitan Police said it had investigated Mr Sarson's report and claimed there was 'insufficient evidence' to progress the case. But after inquiries from The Mail on Sunday, a spokesman for Lord Hendy said yesterday: 'Last month Peter Hendy used his phone while driving. He has apologised in full for this error of judgement and has contacted the police.' The Met said the investigation 'had been re-opened and enquiries continue'. Lord Hendy previously hit the headlines after a £140-an-hour escort claimed she had a nine-month affair with him, during which he had gifted her Oyster cards loaded with £10 credit. In 2013, Rachael Grundy claimed she had had a relationship with him in the run-up to the London Olympics, the transport strategy for which he had masterminded. She said the minister contacted her through her escort website and became a regular who she saw every week while his wife was at their West Country home. Ms Grundy said that he gave her four Oyster travel cards and a London 2012 badge as tokens of his affection.