Latest news with #BritishTransportPolice
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Where ARE you safe on Britain's trains? Maps reveal crime rail hotspots as sex offences and violence soared to all-time highs
Britain's railways are becoming increasingly unsafe as new data reveals serious offences such as sexual and violent crimes have soared to all-time highs. The country's rail network saw record levels of crime, with a total of 80,000 incidents recorded by British Transport Police in 2023-2024. Violent crimes and sex offences both soared to all-time highs and have more than doubled in the last ten years, with overall crime up 55 percent compared to 2014. And while the majority of crimes occurred at large, busy stations with high footfall, some criminals are taking advantage of a lack of police at tiny stations around the country to get away with committing offences. Johnston, an unstaffed stop in the Pembrokeshire village of the same name, saw 10 crimes in 2024, according to British Transport Police (BTP) figures. Four of these were violent crimes, which can involve anything from a minor assault to stabbing. Although barely any crimes were committed at Johnston, it logged the UK's highest rate – 1,440 per million passengers – because of its low footfall. Just 7,000 passengers used the station in 2024, the equivalent of 19 a day. It comes as footage showing a man threatening two women on a train earlier this month went viral this week, after he repeatedly said he would kill them and their boyfriends. Footage filmed by the victims shows a man named 'Elijah' becoming increasingly agitated and shouting the threats while his friends urge him to stop and say he is 'embarrassing' them as they travelled between Cardiff Central and Swindon. Elijah is heard saying: 'I'll kill you. I'll kill your boyfriend. I'll follow you. I'll follow you to your house. I'll follow you to your boyfriend's house, I'll kill your boyfriend. Whatever bro.' Eye witnesses said the passenger had demanded a group of women tell him who was the most attractive out of him and his friends. The crazed commuter later adds: 'If those two girls want to move, you can go. I'm not going to f***ing stop you from going.' At one point the female passengers explain they 'shouldn't be the ones to move' to which the uncouth man puts his hand to his mouth and gasps in exaggeration. 'Elijah' allegedly threw dried chewing gum at a third woman during the journey and 'made one cry'. The British Police (BTP) are investigating the confrontation believed to have taken place on the evening of May 18. A force spokesman said: 'We're aware of a video circulating on social media showing a woman being repeatedly threatened by a man on a train. 'There is absolutely no place for violent or intimidating behaviour on the railway network, and we encourage the victim or anyone who witnessed the incident to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 271 of May 18. 'You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.' Meanwhile at London St Pancras, former F1 world champion Jenson Button's wife was recently targeted in a robbery that saw the thief make off with more than £250,000 worth of jewellery and designer handbags. She and her husband were outside the station and getting into a car when the man nabbed her Goyard carry-on suitcase in a matter of seconds, stealing sentimental items that Brittny Button had hoped to pass on to her daughter. Mourad Aid, 41, pleaded guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 February 2025, five days after the incident. He is due to be sentenced in court today. London St Pancras had the highest number of crimes recorded of any station last year, at 1,616. At neighbouring King's Cross, Made in Chelsea's Yasmine Zweegers fell victim to a terrifying new theft scam. The 25-year-old influencer was outside the major railway hub in King's Cross - having just returned from Yorkshire - when thieves cruelly stole her jewellery, laptop, camera and clothes, totalling to around £8,000, on February 10. Yasmine believed a man, who had offered the reality TV star a tissue to clean brown paint from her coat, was simply being a kind stranger, however seconds later her bag was snatched as she was distracted. The 41-year-old has since pleaded guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 February 2025, five days after the incident and is to be sentenced today And in March, a group of youngsters were seen t rying to stab one another at Queensbury Tube station in north London. In footage which was later uploaded onto social media, a youngster wearing a black jacket and grey hat lashes out with a machete and narrowly misses a boy dressed all in black, who wields a smaller knife. An accomplice of the machete yob appears to be carrying a bottle which he then hurls at his rival from less than two feet away. The fight - which took place in broad daylight - involved at least five youths but only two were armed with blades. British Transport Police confirmed that they were aware of the 34-second long footage, posted onto X and Facebook, and said that one teenager had been arrested. A force spokesman told MailOnline: 'Officers were called to Queensbury underground station at around 5.30pm yesterday (24 March) to reports of a fight involving knives on the platform. 'Officers attended and one boy aged 16 was arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article and possession of a drug (Class B). 'Enquiries into the incident are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to get in touch by texting 61016 or calling 0800 405040 quoting reference 490 of 24/03/25.' In another incident which shocked the nation a gang of teenage girls were filmed attacking train staff, passengers and police in a booze-fuelled rampage at Barnham Station, West Sussex last year. The five girls, the youngest of which was 13, were spared prison, despite throwing punches, headbutts and ripping out the hair of victims. One girl held up a clump of hair from the head of a rail passenger like a trophy during the hour-long melee, a court heard. All five admitted affray and assaults on train staff, police and members of the public. The judge said they would have been jailed if they had been old enough. The five girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, threw punches, headbutts and ripped out hair during the violent outburst While London St Pancras topped the charts based on raw crime figures alone, a huge 35.8 million people use the station every year. In contrast Redbridge, on the outskirts of Southampton had 1,180 crimes per million passengers. Redbridge, operated by South Western Railway, saw 38 crimes last year, against its passenger count of more than 32,000. The most common crimes were vehicle related, likely break-ins of cars and vans at its four-space car park. Tiverton Parkway – on the busy Bristol to Exeter line in mid-Devon – is the top large station where passengers may be targeted by criminals. In 2024, 484 crimes were reported there against its 581,000 footfall, giving a rate of 830 per million passengers. Nearly half of these reports (219) were theft, while another 84 were shoplifting. Technically, Ince and Elton Station in Cheshire saw the highest rate of 11,600 crimes per million passengers — but it only saw one offence committed. It served 86 passengers on an extremely limited 'parliamentary service', meaning just one crime highly inflates the rate. MailOnline excluded crime rates for stations which had fewer than five crimes and fewer than 10,000 passengers. Stations with more than five crimes and fewer than 10,000 footfall, or vice versa, are included in the rankings. It comes after 19-year-old mother Stephanie Marie was stabbed to death in front of commuters by her boyfriend Jason Flore, 26, after an angry confrontation at Crawley Station, West Sussex, last August. Chilling CCTV caught the moment the murderer, who plunged a 20cm knife into the heart of the mother of his child, casually walked his dog just moments later. Within the 45 minutes between the murder and the arrest, Flore disposed of crucial evidence which included his blooded tracksuit bottoms. And last November, a 'lively and outgoing' grandmother was 'senselessly' attacked at Birmingham New Street Station, one of the country's busiest transport hubs. Dorothy Chiles, 87, died at home six weeks later, just two days after Christmas, after being suffering a broken hip and being discharged from hospital. Police said that a woman in her 20s was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. A BTP spokesperson said: 'Every offence is one too many, and while we understand the concern that we recorded more total crimes last year, it's important to understand these figures within their context. The chance of becoming a victim of crime on the railway remains extremely low, and reports of high harm crime such as robbery and violence remain low at 2.2 incidents per million passenger journeys. 'Crucially, we know that these figures are influenced in part by more and more people having the confidence to report things like sexual harassment to us, and through the abundance of daily intelligence-led proactive operations taking place right across the railway network in England, Scotland and Wales. For example, in just one week alone in November our County Lines Taskforce arrested 65 people and seized 42 weapons through proactive deployments, and stop and search is at its highest use in BTP since 2010, with a 50% positive find rate in the last nine months. 'It is also important not to sensationalise crime rate data. Stations like Johnston appear to have a high crime rate because they have a low number of crimes recorded combined with a low footfall of passengers, but with less than one crime recorded per month it's simply incorrect to say that passengers are at greater risk of crime at these stations.'
Edinburgh Live
16 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Moment Edinburgh man approaches group on train and makes 'shocking' comments
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Edinburgh marketing director and LGBTQ+ activist was allegedly the subject of shocking homophobic abuse just hours after winning an inclusivity award. Jamie Love, CEO of marketing agency Monumental and Pride Edinburgh's marketing director, was on the way home from Glasgow on Saturday night when an 'aggressive' passenger boarded. According to Jamie, the individual immediately began touching his hair and irritating his colleagues on the train to Edinburgh. Jamie says the man's behaviour soon escalated when he repeatedly called him a "fa**ot". One of his female then confronted the man and has since posted a clip of him on TikTok. Jamie, while onboard, alerted police to the abuse as the man got off at Falkirk. British Transport Police officers were waiting at Edinburgh Waverley and spoke to Jamie and his colleagues about the incident. The abuse has since been described as "quite shocking" by Jamie, who added how it was "quite sad" considering hours earlier he won the Impact Award at the Proud Scotland Awards in recognition of its contribution to the LGBTQ+ community. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. Jamie claims the attack was unprovoked and he was targeted for his perceived sexuality and presentation. Jamie said: "The most jarring part is the irony - being recognised for creating safer spaces and driving inclusion, only to be targeted for who I am hours later. It's a sobering reminder of how far we still have to go. No one should have to experience hate for simply existing. "I've never been in a position where I've had to call the police so it's quite sad. The guy got on as three of us were sat at a table but the train was packed. "He got on and immediately went to touch my hair. I said please don't touch me and his friend was trying to push him away. He then started getting aggressive, it was chaos. "That's when the slurs started and he started picking on a colleague of mine. It's weird going from a diversity awards night to that in a matter of hours. It's quite shocking." British Transport Police were approached for comment.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: Vile train passenger who threatened women saying 'I'll kill you' is former teen football star about to become father for first time
A train passenger allegedly caught on film threatening and abusing two young women on a train is a former teen football star. Electrician Elijah Chilekwa, 27, was filmed allegedly shouting abuse at the women, who he did not know, after they reportedly declined to say who they found most attractive out of himself and the two friends he was travelling with. Chilekwa, who previously played for Wales U19s football team with one international goal to his name, is said to have told the women: 'I'll kill you. I'll kill your boyfriend. I'll follow you. I'll follow you to your house. I'll follow you to your boyfriend's house, I'll kill your boyfriend. Whatever bro.' He was reportedly then seen further harassing the women before allegedly throwing chewing gum at a third, leaving her in tears. The awful clip, which was filmed earlier this month on a train from Cardiff to Swindon, went viral on social media. Chilekwa, who is about to become a father with his girlfriend of eight years, has since been arrested by the British Transport Police. Despite his behaviour, Chilekwa's girlfriend has claimed he was simply 'drunk' and 'his intention wasn't to threaten them.' During the outburst, filmed by one of the victims, two friends travelling with Elijah were heard attempting to calm the situation, telling him: 'What are you doing bruv?' The former Wales footballer is now an electrician and was filmed on the train earlier this month Chilekwa went on to shout: 'If those two girls want to move, you can go. I'm not going to f***ing stop you from going.' As his friends tell him he is 'embarrassing' them, he continues: 'I ain't embarrassing no-one. You two move then.' His friends then attempt to persuade Elijah to move to another seat away from the women, before telling him to 'shut up' to no avail. One of his friends said: 'I can't believe what you're doing.' But speaking to MailOnline, Chilekwa's girlfriend of eight years Niamh James, 23, who is seven months pregnant, claimed her partner later apologised. Ms James said: 'What he said was disgusting and both he and I have spoken to the girls to apologise. 'His intention was not to threaten them, he was just drunk and being a fool. It's out of character. He's sorry and it will be dealt with by the courts.' She added Chilekwa has suffered a huge backlash since the video was put on social media, including racist and homophobic abuse. She said: 'Someone said [to me] I can't believe you're having a baby with him. 'He's had racist messages, people saying black lives matter, some of the things are worse than what Elijah said. 'There were even homophobic comments and he's not gay.' She added: 'This is being dealt with by the BTP. Due to this we can't discuss any further.' The firm where Chilekwa works, Brighter Green Engineering Ltd, has been made aware of the incident, MailOnline understands, with his company said to be 'supportive' of the former footballer. As well as previously playing for Wales, Chilekwa played as a right winger at Bristol City before being signed at Worcester City. A BTP spokesperson previously told MailOnline: 'There is absolutely no place for violent or intimidating behaviour on the railway network, and we encourage the victim or anyone who witnessed the incident to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 271 of May 18. 'You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Inside the crackdown on London's brazen Tube fare dodgers
In a desperate attempt to avoid the uniformed police guarding the exit to the tube station, a young man without a ticket sprints back down the platform steps. But before he can jump back onto the train, officers circle him and have him restrained against a wall within minutes. A search of his bag reveals he is carrying a lockable knife, and he is swiftly arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and put in handcuffs. The weapon is placed in an evidence bag, and he is marched through the station and into a waiting police car to be charged and remanded to appear at court the next day. The knife looks small, but officers insist it could do serious damage, and they stress they do not know the man's intentions for travelling with the weapon. It is just one example of more than 480 instances where people carrying a bladed article, such as a knife, have been stopped by British Transport Police (BTP) in the past year. The Independent witnessed several fare-dodging incidents while out on an operation with BTP from Stratford station in east London to Ilford on the Elizabeth line, as part of their crackdown on offenders. The latest figures show almost one in 20 Tube passengers are dodging fares – at a cost of £130m – amid a surge in violence against the staff who try to stop them. Ilford is one of many stations in the capital that has witnessed violence towards staff, with workers telling how they have been hit, spat at and subjected to racial abuse - all in the line of work. This particular station was chosen for the operation because in December 2024, a railway worker died after sustaining a serious head injury after being assaulted. Attacks on Transport for London (TfL) staff are not uncommon. More than 10,490 reports of work-related violence and aggression were made by TfL workers in 2023/24 - a 5 per cent increase on the previous year. About half of these incidents came after they approached fare evaders. 'Frontline staff deal with members of the public on a regular basis, and we know that they do face a disproportionate level on occasions of verbal abuse, and at its worst, that can escalate to physical violence,' Superintendent John Loveless from BTP tells The Independent. 'There's always a sense of fear or concern that you just don't know who you're dealing with, what they've got on their persons, whether that be a knife or something else, or just how they're going to behave and react to you,' he adds. The busy transport hub of Stratford - the fifth busiest station in the UK in 2023/24 - has a huge footfall and before officers even start their operation, they rush off to deal with drunk and disorderly passengers and several instances of anti-social behaviour. As we interview a worker, a group of teenagers are causing disruption by running around and vaping on the platform. When they refuse to cooperate with police, one is physically restrained, pinned to concrete floor of the platform and can be heard yelling as police speak to them. As we move onto the platform, a man guzzling a beer as he carries bag full of more alcohol is stopped for carrying an open container of alcohol - but he escapes a fine. Fare dodging is described as a 'gateway level offence' by officers on the operation, who say that while not all fare evaders are criminals, most criminals will avoid paying. Within 20 minutes of getting off the Elizabeth line train to Ilford, police stop the young man with a knife. Soon after another man approaching the barrier sees police and confesses he does not have his Oyster card with him. He is taken to one side, questioned and handed a £100 fine - the standard rate under TfL rules, which can be reduced if paid within 21 days. Another man who tries to exit the barrier is fined on the spot for using a child's travel card. A group of five women travelling with children in buggies attempt to circle back down the steps onto the platform when they realise police are lining the exit. Their suspicious behaviour is clocked by plain-clothed police officers who stop them for questions. The women, who spoke Romanian, could not speak English fluently, and a member of the station staff steps in to translate. It is soon revealed that they do not have any way to pay for their tickets and they are fined. During the operation, officers issue 47 penalty fares of £100 and conduct seven stop and searches – finding the lock knife and two people in possession of cannabis. Superintendent Loveless says: 'London does have its challenges in terms of weapon-enabled crime, but whilst there might still be that sense of fear and concern do be reassured that it's a really still safe way to travel.' 'We like to use the phrase that 'whilst you may not always see us, it doesn't mean that police are not always there. 'Talking to the knife carriers out there, the risk of you becoming a victim yourself if you are choosing to carry a knife is high. You put yourself and others at significant risk, and ultimately it can result in a life-changing injury or death.' More than 55,000 knife crime offences were recorded in England and Wales in the year to September 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Thief who targeted Jenson Button's wife is illegal migrant
An Algerian migrant who stole a suitcase containing £250,000 of jewellery and luxury items from Jenson Button's wife, Brittny, was in the UK illegally at the time and is due to be deported after serving his sentence. Mourad Aid, 41, snatched the Goyard carry-on on Feb 13 outside St Pancras International station in London, as the Formula One champion and his wife returned from a trip to Paris. The Algerian national was sentenced on Friday at Inner London Crown Court to two years and four months in prison for two separate offences, including the high-profile theft. He will be deported after serving his sentence, British Transport Police said. Aid took the Goyard carry-on bag while Jenson Button had his back turned, helping a chauffeur with luggage. At the time, Aid was also in breach of bail conditions that prohibited him from entering Kings Cross. The suitcase contained jewellery from the couple's wedding, family heirlooms intended for their daughter, and two Hermès Kelly handbags worth around £70,000, none of which have been recovered. Aid pleaded guilty to the theft on Feb 19 at Westminster magistrates' court. He also admitted to handling stolen goods relating to a separate incident involving a silver Rimowa suitcase stolen on Nov 24 2024. The Buttons have since said they have no plans to return to the UK following the ordeal. The case was first reported by MailOnline. Kate Blackwell KC said during sentencing: 'You are 41 years of age. A man who came to the UK in 2019 on a six-month tourist visa and when it expired you stayed here illegally. You have never applied for asylum, but you never applied for benefit,' she said, according to MailOnline. 'As far as the court is aware you have never held lawful employment. 'Whilst passing the shortest sentence I can that is commensurate with my public duty, the sentence will result in your automatic deportation once it is served. 'I give you full credit for pleading guilty at the first opportunity. 'You have no convictions in the UK so I treat you as a man of previous good character.' Richard Sedgwick, prosecuting, said Aid had told a 'succession of lies' after being arrested by plain-clothes officers in the Hatton Gardens district four days after the theft. Aid claimed during police interviews to have been attending a funeral in Algeria on the day of the theft. He later admitted to stealing the Goyard suitcase, but claimed to have gifted it to charity. Remarking on his initial denials, the judge said: 'You proceeded to continue these lies, continuing to attempt to deflect responsibility onto anyone else but yourself.' In a victim impact statement, reported by MailOnline, Ms Jenson said the ordeal had left her and her husband with 'no interest' in returning to the UK. She said: 'When we first started dating we would go to London, and it was such like a nice place to be, and now it just feels very kind of dark and scary. 'My husband and I we really have no interest going back to the UK and it's a shame, because, you know, we will have to go back for family and work. 'It just feels so unsafe and doesn't feel how it once was, and it's just unfortunate because that's where my children's grandmother and aunts live.' A Home Office spokesman said: 'Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that we will do everything to make sure they are not free to roam Britain's streets, including removing them from the UK at the earliest possible opportunity. 'Since the election we've removed 4,436 foreign criminals, a 14 per cent increase on the same period 12 months prior.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
