08 May 2024 , 18:35
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Multiple women were left with facial injuries after a woman stormed into a tube station and began swinging her handbag around in an unprovoked attack. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, April 2, saw the woman enter the station between 9.45am and 10am and start hitting several women in the face with her handbag.
The British Transport Police (BTP) have since released a CCTV image of a woman they wish to speak to in connection with the assault. They believe she may hold vital information that could aid their ongoing investigation.
Anyone who recognises the woman or has any information about the incident is urged to contact BTP by texting 61016, or calling 0800 40 50 40 and quoting reference number 2400042028. Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, reports MyLondon.
Last year, British Transport Police data showed violent incidents on the London Underground had risen by 75% in the past two years, the Standard reported. The force recorded 3,542 incidents in the 12-month period up to October 31, 2023, compared with 2,029 in the previous period.
Police released a CCTV image of a woman they wish to speak to (BTP)Sarah Olney, Lib Dem MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston, obtained the figures via a freedom of information request, and said the violence was down to 'falling numbers of police officers'. She said: “Violent crime is becoming a much bigger anxiety for my constituents. That has to do with falling numbers of police officers on the streets and not being able to get hold of them. The Government and the Mayor of London cannot stand by and let this happen.”
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A Transport for London statement at the time read: “The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority and working closely with the police. We have more than 2,500 police and police community support officers and 500 TfL enforcement staff patrolling the network at all times of the day to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, alongside operations to target offenders and hotspot locations. All stations are staffed from first train until last train and we have more than 4,500 station colleagues available across the network to assist customers and keep them safe.
“We have also been actively promoting the importance of reporting crime, especially crimes that are underreported such as hate crime, sexual offences and harassment and workplace violence and aggression. We encourage anyone who witnesses a crime on the transport network to report it, so we can take action against offenders and put measures in place to prevent this happening again. Crime on the TfL network largely reflects national crime trends rising from the lower volumes recorded during the pandemic. We will continue to work closely with the police to ensure that our transport network remain a safe environment to work and travel.”