CCTV image released as police investigate assault on guard - Bristol (29/12/09)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

British Transport Police (BTP) officers are appealing for the public^s help to identify a man they would like to speak to in connection with an assault on a member of train staff in Bristol.

Officers have today released a CCTV Image of the man they believe can help with their enquiries into the incident which took place on the 1601hrs Bristol Parkway - Bristol Temple Meads service on Tuesday 29 December 2009.

As the train guard was checking tickets, she encountered a man who did not have a valid ticket.

The man had a ticket from Cardiff to Newport but told the guard he was travelling to Bristol Temple Meads

When told by the guard he would have to buy a Newport-Bristol ticket to cover the remainder of his journey, the man became abusive towards the guard and swore repeatedly.

The man also pushed the guard in the vestibule area of the carriage. Although she was not injured, she was shocked by the man^s behaviour.

The guard attempted to keep all but one of the train^s doors closed when the service arrived at Bristol Temple Meads but the man pushed past her and fled through the open door and made off from the station before police arrived.

The man police want to speak to about this incident is described as black, in his early to mid-20s, about 6ft 2in and of medium build.

He was wearing a yellow and black baseball cap and a bright orange, high-vis jacket, and was carrying a large bag.

Anyone who knows the man^s identity, or his whereabouts, is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, quoting Crime reference W10/149993/2010.

[inspector_blakey]

Another impressively clear CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) image from the refurbished "West" fleet, but why does it always seem to take the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) a month or more to put these press releases in the public domain...?

[Chris from Nailsea]

I understand there are two reasons:

1. They have to identify the particular individual(s) concerned, on what can be a fair amount of footage, if the precise time of the incident isn't known;

2. They have to get the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to agree to the publication of those images - in case it prejudices any subsequent trial.

[John R]

Thanks Chris. I'm guessing but in the instance (as here) where a member of staff is involved the time will be known very precisely. So no surprises that it's getting the paperwork sorted that is the problem.

Thanks - I know a lot of people, including myself, have wondered about this. Let's hope in due course we get some prosecutions.

[Tim]

I understand there are two reasons:

1. They have to identify the particular individual(s) concerned, on what can be a fair amount of footage, if the precise time of the incident isn't known;

2. They have to get the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to agree to the publication of those images - in case it prejudices any subsequent trial.

Not good enough I am afraid.  The timing of this incident was not an issue.  The Guard would have known the time or a look at the timetable would have given the time in at BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)).  The CPS ought to be quicker.  They are supposed to be suporting prosecutions.