Seeking witnesses - 7th December on 19:15 ex Melksham and at Trowbridge

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From Wiltshire Today

The British Transport Police are appealing to the public for help identifying a man after ticket inspectors were 'head-butted and bitten' at Trowbridge train station.

A group people boarded the 6.48pm Swindon-to-Southampton train at Melksham train station on Wednesday 7 December.

While on board the train, ticket inspectors asked the group for their tickets.

One of the men had an invalid ticket and when he was asked about this, he became abusive towards the inspectors, shouting and swearing at them.

The group alighted at Trowbridge train station.

At the station they continued to threaten the inspectors before one man head-butted one male inspector and bit the other male inspector on the hand.

He then ran away.

One of the victims sustained a bruised nose and the other sustained a cut hand.

A 24-year-old man from Brighton has been arrested on suspicion of common assault and Section 4 Public Order in connection with this incident.

Police officers would like to speak to the man shown in the CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) image as he may have information which could help with the investigation.

If you recognise the man or have any information, contact British Transport Police by calling 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, quoting reference 234 of 16/12/16.

[JayMac]

Excellent image from the body worn camera.

[trainer]

I sincerely hope that the ticket inspector was not seriously injured and in a time when there is much negative publicity about railway staff, I am reminded that the work can be dangerous and I commend him and his colleagues for the way they protect not just the company finances, but ordinary travellers from such unpleasant individuals.

I trust the inspector will not be too traumatised to enjoy this season and that the perpetrator will be sufficiently remorseful and worried about the consequences of what he has done to want to change his ways even before the just punishment is meted out.