British Transport Police have released a CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to after a passenger was punched in the face at Hackney Downs station in north London.
The assault happened at around 10pm on Sunday 30 August. Officers say the man became “aggressive and threatening” towards other passengers on a train travelling between Cambridge Heath and Hackney Downs, before following his victim off the train and punching him in the face as they got off.
BTP launched a public appeal on Tuesday (23 September), publishing a CCTV still of the man investigators would like to identify. The force says he may have information which could assist the investigation.
Officers are also keen to trace the victim himself, as well as any witnesses who were on the train or on the platform at Hackney Downs at the time of the attack.
The appeal, first reported by railway news outlet RailAdvent, asks anyone who recognises the man in the image to come forward. BTP can be contacted by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 2600115301.
Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Hackney Downs, served by London Overground and Greater Anglia services, is one of the busiest rail interchanges in east London. The incident has once again put the spotlight on passenger safety on the capital’s railways late at night.
Detectives will now work through CCTV footage from on board the train and from the station in an effort to piece together the man’s movements before and after the assault. Appeals of this kind regularly prove decisive, with members of the public often able to name individuals from clothing or other distinctive details.
British Transport Police recently issued a similar CCTV appeal after a serious assault at Liverpool Street station, underlining how often detectives turn to the public for help identifying people caught on camera on the rail network.
Transport hubs in Hackney have come under police scrutiny before: two men were recently convicted of a money transfer fraud targeting Londoners near transport hubs in the borough.
BTP’s 61016 text service allows passengers to discreetly report crime on the railway, and the force regularly publishes CCTV appeals when other lines of enquiry have been exhausted.
No arrest has been made and no one has been charged in connection with the incident. The man pictured is described by police only as someone they wish to speak to as part of their enquiries.
Anyone with information is urged to contact BTP as soon as possible.
Reporting based on: RailAdvent – “Appeal launched after man punched at London station”, with corroboration from the Evening Standard’s coverage of the BTP appeal.
