Incident at Edmonton Green (21/1)

[Gathursty]

This was one of my fears when driving around such areas of the capital last year in the middle of the night. So, so lucky nothing happened to me or the car but sympathies to anyone caught up in the fracas at Edmonton Green!

 

[Clip]

This has to make the news, no?

There is nothing on the standards website nor the BBC. Very odd indeed.

 

[A-driver]

There is nothing on the standards website nor the BBC. Very odd indeed.

Greater Anglia were being very careful what they said on twitter so the police may have asked for a block on reporting for now, possibly to prevent any kind of panic in the area or prevent a repeat of the riots with others deciding to join in or copy the incident. Obviously that is just speculation but it may come out in the news tomorrow.

Certainly sounds very scary for all involved, passengers and staff. Especially at that time of day, whilst I rarely feel uncomfortable or threatened at work I would say that the rush hours are when you feel safest compared to late at night etc.

 

[Searle]

It did make it to my local paper, the Hertfordshire Mercury, but details were pretty much just based on twitter:

'Incident' on Greater Anglia train delays services
Greater Anglia trains are being delayed and diverted this evening following an "incident" at Edmonton Green. The rail provider said emergency services were dealing with an incident at the station, which runs on the same line as several stops in Mercury land, resulting in delays to services stopping at Cheshunt and Broxbourne. British Transport Police have not confirmed the nature of the incident, but reports on social media suggest it may have involved violence. Ch Supt Paul Brogden, BTP divisional commander for London and South East, tweeted: "Good work by Insp McGregor & #b_divisioneast officers dealing with some serious disorder on board a train at #EdmontonGreen. Arrests made." He added: "Argument on the train escalated when others met this at #EdmontonGreen station. Witnesses r asked to ring @btp_uk on 0800405040 incident 457."

Source

 

[kounelaki]

I just quickly registered as I thought I'd share what I know happened on this train.

My mother-in-law was on the train and said three men with baseball bats stormed the carriage and were specifically looking for one man. I'm not sure how badly they beat him before they ran off, but it was definitely a targeted attack. Of course, they must not be the brightest guys in the world what with carrying this out on a train packed with witnesses at a station filled with CCTV.

Anyway, the train was cancelled, everyone was kicked off and thankfully my wife was at home so could pick them up. I've advised her to use the FCC Moorgate line from now on...

 

[dk1]

I just quickly registered as I thought I'd share what I know happened on this train.

My mother-in-law was on the train and said three men with baseball bats stormed the carriage and were specifically looking for one man. I'm not sure how badly they beat him before they ran off, but it was definitely a targeted attack. Of course, they must not be the brightest guys in the world what with carrying this out on a train packed with witnesses at a station filled with CCTV.

Anyway, the train was cancelled, everyone was kicked off and thankfully my wife was at home so could pick them up. I've advised her to use the FCC Moorgate line from now on...

Broken arm.

 

[Tetchytyke]

There is nothing on the standards website nor the BBC. Very odd indeed.

It isn't odd at all, the police will usually ask the media to keep schtum if it is likely to damage rather than help an investigation.

I'm sure it will be reported in full once the filth have been arrested.

You couldn't pay me to live in Tottenham, Edmonton or most of Enfield.

 

[jon0844]

One of the reasons I moved, and I was on the west side of the A10 (only just, mind). And I moved away in 2003!

 

[Be3G]

You couldn't pay me to live in Tottenham, Edmonton or most of Enfield.

To be fair, much of the western half of the Enfield borough is rather pleasant (with house prices to match). It's quite a dual-personality borough in that respect.

More on topic, the incident has made it to the Enfield Independent website.

 

[bicbasher]

ITV News are finally reporting the incident.

http://www.itv.com/news/london/2014-01-22/mass-panic-as-gang-attacks-train-and-smashes-windows/

11:14AM, WED 22 JAN 2014
'Mass panic' as gang attacks train and smashes windows
- last updated Wed 22 Jan 2014
UK Edmonton
Hundreds of passengers were trapped on a train last night during a gang fight at Edmonton Station in north London.

The doors of the Greater Anglia service were kept shut, with the fight even spilling onto the tracks at one point. One passenger claimed there was "mass panic" on board.

The British Transport Police says it was called after reports that a group of men had attacked a passenger and damaged the train.

During the incident, two windows on the 6.15pm Liverpool Street to Enfield Town service were smashed with baseball bats and poles, and, as a result, the train was taken out of service.

The victim, a 28-year-old man, who was also attacked was left with head injuries and taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service to be treated.

A 23-year-old man from Mile End was arrested at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage and causing grievous bodily harm. He is currently in custody helping detectives with enquiries.

– BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE STATEMENT
Two men are believed to have made off from the scene across the tracks.

My team of detectives will be carrying out a full investigation, including viewing CCTV from the train, station and surrounding area to determine exactly what took place. We have also stepped up patrols in the area to reassure the local community.

If you were onboard the train or at the station at the time and have key information about what happened, I’d urge you to contact police. If you know the identity of those men who made off, I’d also ask you to provide officers with that vital information.”

– CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT PAUL BROGDEN, BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE

 

[jon0844]

Now we know more about what actually happened, I feel I can now write that last night my first thought was that Ginger was upset about the cleanliness of the train and decided to kick off!

 

[ralphchadkirk]

The Edmonton and Tottenham area is particularly rough. A few of my colleagues work round there, and I've been dragged there a few times and it's not a pleasant at times. Frankly from the A10 right round to the Thames (i.e East London!) all has bad areas.

 

[Clip]

It isn't odd at all, the police will usually ask the media to keep schtum if it is likely to damage rather than help an investigation.

I'm sure it will be reported in full once the filth have been arrested.

.

Rubbish. The Police were already tweeting about a job well done and an arrest only a couple of hours after the incident and appealing for witnesses. The media would have probably helped as it would have given more people in the surrounding area an idea to look out for people running away with blood and baseball bats on them.

They just didnt find it newsworthy

 

[A-driver]

Rubbish. The Police were already tweeting about a job well done and an arrest only a couple of hours after the incident and appealing for witnesses. The media would have probably helped as it would have given more people in the surrounding area an idea to look out for people running away with blood and baseball bats on them.



They just didnt find it newsworthy

After the incident was when the interest from the media has died down. If it was ongoing then it would be all over the news. It was a serious incident but obviously not seen as a headline grabber.

At the time there seemed to be a media block as GA were tweeting that the police wouldn't let them give out much infimation.

 

[GB]

GA keeping quiet about this no doubt given the area and the social tensions there.

To all intents and purposes, it appears this was actually a train hijacking with the the train being brought to a stop before the station and then coming under attack.

There are also various turf wars on going in the area with named desth threats in graffiti onboard several trains.

It wasn't a train hijacking at all. At no point was the train under control of the assailants.

 

[transmanche]

At the time there seemed to be a media block as GA were tweeting that the police wouldn't let them give out much infimation.

That's not a 'media block'...

 

[Clip]

After the incident was when the interest from the media has died down. If it was ongoing then it would be all over the news. It was a serious incident but obviously not seen as a headline grabber.

At the time there seemed to be a media block as GA were tweeting that the police wouldn't let them give out much infimation.

From the reports now it didnt seem as serious as first written about - bats hitting outside train then boarding - And even if it had diead down that is plenty of time for a short report on the 2 most read media outlets in London - the Standard and BBC London news - appealing for more witnesses.

I didnt see a tweet from GA that said that, just ones that said there was disruption.All in all it was a pretty rubbish response

 

[Be3G]

The incident has now made it to the BBC News website.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

They probably didn't report it because it wasn't as serious as was made out on here.
From the OP, and then the BBC article:

a gang smashed the side of the train up with baseball bats

Two windows on the 18:15 Greater Anglia service from Liverpool Street to Enfield were smashed

got onto the train and attacked people, stabbings also reported.

A 28-year-old man with head injuries was taken to hospital for treatment.

So, two windows smashed and one man injured. It's not the entire side of a train smashed up, and there weren't multiple attacks and stabbing of passengers.

 

[Wolfie]

That all sounds very nasty indeed, and I hope everyone recovers. It's one of the situations I do dread being involved in. From a more technical point of view, it shows the need for clearly-marked & easy-to-use emergency egress devices. Whilst they could let attackers in, they will equally allow panicking passengers out.

I wonder if the gang was "just" targeting one person who had either taken refuge on the train - or boarded but was unaware of the forthcoming attack. I guess the police are trying to find that out. This incident, whilst probably reasonably isolated, probably shows the worrying lengths some gangs go to in order to cause disorder. In fact, I guess the gang members were lucky not to have been mown down by a passing train, given that it may well take a while to bring one to a stand in such a situation, as it's so unexpected.

my bold

They may have been. I personally think that, except obviously for the train driver, it might well have been a blessing for society had the whole damned lot of them been hit!

 

[broadgage]

There is nothing on the standards website nor the BBC. Very odd indeed.

Agree, I follow the news fairly well, and this thread was the first that I heard of the incident.


EDIT TO ADD this is now on the BBC new website and elswhere, but only very recently.

 

[user15681]

Agree, I follow the news fairly well, and this thread was the first that I heard of the incident.


EDIT TO ADD this is now on the BBC new website and elswhere, but only very recently.

And in the Standard this evening. The Standard report that a dispute between two people on the train happened because one refused to apologise to the other. One then called friends who met the train at Edmonton Green. Greater Anglia say they didn't open the doors on police advice.

 

[VauxhallandI]

If they were not on the train how did they stop it before it had fully entered the station?

How would the driver have noticed the attack before he was fully in the station?

They must have been on the platform to reach the windows to smash them and to climb in them as the doors were shut.

 

[anti-pacer]

This incident was featured on BBC London News tonight, which I watched from my home in Yorkshire!

The joys of Virgin Media!

 

[jon0844]

I asked earlier about whether the media had been blacked out and got this:

https://twitter.com/BTP_B_Division/status/426053799388913664

No quite the opposite Jonathan. Several witness & media appeals made including @itvlondon. Been busy all day but will give updates.

 

[Be3G]

This incident was featured on BBC London News tonight, which I watched from my home in Yorkshire!

Was much said about it? I've tried skimming through on iPlayer and didn't spot anything! If it was only a couple of sentences then that might be why.

 

[anti-pacer]

Was much said about it? I've tried skimming through on iPlayer and didn't spot anything! If it was only a couple of sentences then that might be why.

Just that a gang had got on the train with baseball bats and poles, scaring passengers. One injured and a man from Mile End had been arrested. It showed police searching for evidence on the grass outside the station.

 

[bnsf734]

A link to the page below came from the Network Rail twitter feed @ 04:20 this morning:

http://www.btp.police.uk/latest_news/appeals/passenger_and_train_attacked.aspx

BTP appealing for witnesses.

 

[sbt]

The family seem to have failed to get much support, and certainly no riot,

After the inquest Mark Duggan's family specifically appealed for there to be no violence or, indeed, demonstrations. Direct quote: "no more demonstrations, no more violence”. It was made very publicly and further publicised when the Prime Minister thanked them for it.

The phrase "no justice, no peace" used before the inquest referred to the fact that the family have vowed to pursue their wish for the verdict to be overturned through the courts. They have made similar but clearer statements after the inquest.

I'm not a fan of Mark Duggan, nor do I believe the verdict was wrong. But the situation is nasty enough without people accusing Duggans family of Incitement to Riot, a criminal offence that attracts a prison sentance, when in fact they have, very publically, done the opposite, issued an 'Incitement NOT to Riot'.

In fact, I expect what the family now want is compensation.

They have stated that they will be mounting a series of legal actions to get the verdict reversed. No mention of compensation has been made and I believe it would be most unlikely to succeed with the current verdict of Lawful Killing in place.

 

[tsr]

Three men have now been charged with violent disorder, criminal damage & assault by the BTP, and have been before Highbury Corner Magistrates this morning. The BTP are working with GA to review safety/procedures.

Source