Police appeal for witnesses to assault on train between Plymouth and Liskeard

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

BTP APPEALS FOR WITNESSES FOLLOWING ASSAULT ON BOARD TRAIN BETWEEN PLYMOUTH AND LISKEARD

British Transport Police (BTP) officers are appealing for witnesses after a passenger was assaulted on a train between Plymouth and Liskeard.

The incident took place on board the 1950hrs Plymouth-Penzance service on Tuesday 6 July at around 8pm, between Plymouth and Liskeard rail stations.

PC Mike Phillips, one of BTP's investigating officers, said: ^When the female train manager was checking tickets and collecting fares in coach C of the train, there was a discrepancy when a male passenger attempted to pay for his ticket using a credit card. The passenger became aggressive towards the train manager. When another male passenger intervened, he was assaulted by the first man who also launched a tirade of verbal abuse at him. I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information about the identity of the man who carried out the assault, to come forward as they may have information which can assist BTP.^

The man who carried out the assault is described as being white, in his 40s and wearing a dark top or jacket, a blue hat and faded red tracksuit bottoms with a white stripe down the side. He was also carrying a rucksack.

The man, who spoke with an Irish accent, boarded the train at Plymouth and got off at Liskeard following the incident. Officers believe he had been intending to travel to Penzance.

[JayMac]

Nice to see an appeal for information for an incident less than a week old.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Well, I've given up posting about those BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press releases which relate to incidents more than a couple of weeks ago. 

[JayMac]

I suspect a lot of the delay is down to obtaining, studying, and eliminating innocents from CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) footage. This most recent incident at LLiskeard had no accompanying CCTV footage.

What I would like to see is actual video posted as well as stills. The moving image is often clearer to see than the freeze frame. Most CCTV these days is recorded digitally so it can't be beyond the wit of the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) to upload it.

The recently re-appeal for information about bag theives with CCTV stills at Bristol Temple Meads (BTP Appeal) is a case in point. The stills are poor quality, but I know from experience that the CCTV at Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager) is much clearer in video.

[inspector_blakey]

People with Irish accents do seem to come in for an undue amount of trouble in these sorts of press releases. Last time I travelled from Whitland to Cardiff there was a very drunk man, with an Irish accent, ejected from the train at Pembrey and Burry Port after he announced he had no ticket and had travelled in the toilet from Pembroke Dock (this was at about 0830). Needless to say the new guard who had boarded the train at Carmarthen was not amused...