'man' spits at rail worker

[theageofthetra]

Hope this worthless garbage is caught

http://www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk...during-Longbridge-Station-assault-111398.html

Rail worker is spat at during Longbridge Station assault

POLICE have released CCTV pictures of a man they want to speak to in connection with an incident at Longbridge Railway Station where a member of staff was assaulted.

It took place at 9.30am on June 18 when the 47-year-old employee was overseeing a train leave the station.

He was approached by another man who spat in his face.

Investigating officer PC Mark Gowanlock, from British Transport Police (BTP), said: “Despicable behaviour such as this will not be tolerated and BTP will take every possible step to bring offenders to justice.”

Officers have spoken to witnesses and viewed footage of the incident.
PC Gowanlock said officers wanted to speak to anyone who recognised the man in the picture as they believed he would have information vital to the enquiry.

 

[91103eastcoast]

Agreed. It's disgusting that yobs deem it acceptable to attack rail staff who are just going about their normal duties. Unfortunately it seems to be a prevailing problem in modern society.

 

[Greenback]

Disgraceful behaviour, and an example needs to be made of a few of these types of incidents to deter others from doing the same.

 

[185]

Some years ago I was asked to remove my trousers by the British Transport Police.

This resulted in a suspended jail sentence.*

(*upon successful DNA matching of the spit on my trouser leg)

 

[PHILIPE]

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a deterrent sentence nowadays. There is lot of shouting re prisoners re-offending. This is due to them not spending long enough inside in the first place.

 

[Diplodicus]

Prison is not a deterrent! I spent some time in one (on an IT project). The inmates were very contented! For many of them, it is their their first encounter with a secure, ordered environment with clear behavioural boundaries.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I recall seeing on one of the recent TV shows on the railways that Merseyrail staff have gloves, swabs and a container in case of an event like the OP happening.

Spitting at one another is low-life and disgusting. I hope this scumbag gets caught.

 

[Monty]

I've been spat in the face on one occasion at Twickenham station while dispatching my train during the Rugby. Unfortunately the offender didn't have the balls to do it in front of me and spat from the safety of the crowd and thus I couldn't ID him. It's a vile thing to do and I would never wish it upon anyone, I hope the person responsible is caught and an example made.

 

[Minilad]

I started my railway career at Longbridge station. It has it's fair share of pond life using it.
I think I may know the member of staff involved. If it's who I think it is then you would struggle to find a more laid back unassuming guy

 

[LowLevel]

If they have previous it's about the most stupid thing they can do, providing a great DNA sample to be checked. I carry a swab kit in my bag at all times.

 

[Strathclyder]

Disgraceful. I cannot abide spitting at all, especially when it's unprovoked. Hope this reprehensible individual is caught.

 

[jamesst]

I recall seeing on one of the recent TV shows on the railways that Merseyrail staff have gloves, swabs and a container in case of an event like the OP happening.

Spitting at one another is low-life and disgusting. I hope this scumbag gets caught.

We do indeed.

 

[pitdiver]

I at one time after leaving LUL worked for National Express Coaches If you think there's low life on the Railway try travelling from VCS. We were all issued with spit kits as well to carry around with us.

 

[White shadow]

Spitting is disgusting, when I see kids walking along the street doing it, even when I see footballers doing it, I think to myself who actually thinks that's a well mannered approach to life.

Spitting at others deliberately, that is a whole different level, that's just barbaric, animal like..... There just isn't something right in people's head when they do that!

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Annoys me a bit when footballers start spitting 30 seconds after kickoff.

 

[Flamingo]

We carry DNA swab kits for instances like this - they have resulted in convictions as the evidence is pretty damning!

 

[Wyvern]

I can remember back in the day signs everywhere saying "Spitting Prohibited Fine £5" (which was then the average week's wage) In those days, of course, there was a lot of TB about, and before antibiotics were common

 

[Solent&Wessex]

We carry DNA swab kits for instances like this - they have resulted in convictions as the evidence is pretty damning!

Just over a year ago someone spat in my face during an incident where a fare dodger got upset at my pointing out that he actually needed to pay to travel by train and it wasn't a free taxi service.

I immediately used my DNA collection kit and the offender was known to the police and eventually arrested. He pleaded guilty in court and got a 2 month curfew monitored by having to wear an electronic tag, quite a decent chunk of community service (I can't remember how much) and ordered to pay me £250 in compensation (which I am getting at about £10 per month). I am fairly certain that he may have got a suspended prison sentence too.

So the DNA kits are very handy.

 

[red2005]

I was spat at on June 13th this year! It landed on my trouser leg Luckily the trolley staff had a swab kit on them so we took a swab and handed it in to Btp an hour later!

We were on the approach to a Btp manned station and he was arrested 5 minutes later! He was due in court earlier this month charged with assault and public order offences so just waiting to hear on the outcome!

Absolutely disgusting! Personally I'd of preferred him to punch me in the face!

 

[theageofthetra]

Good to hear that the garbage who are spitting at staff are getting prosecuted, though £250 comp is woefull, can't you prosecute privately (no win no fee or with union assistance) to make the vermin pay more?

 

[Whistler40145]

It's absolutely disgusting.

I don't know how this behaviour can be eradicated.

 

[tony6499]

It's unfortunately a common thing for railway staff to face and until suitable punishments are dished out will continue to be so

 

[carriageline]

Or castrate them and stop them breeding


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tsr]

I have also known distressed people with severe mental health issues to spit at railway staff, which is equally horrible to experience, but (it seems) rather harder to effectively deal with.

 

[Whistler40145]

To some individuals spitting is second nature.

 

[daikilo]

To some individuals spitting is second nature.

Sadly, so is prison or community service. I don't have a solution.

 

[Antman]

We carry DNA swab kits for instances like this - they have resulted in convictions as the evidence is pretty damning!

Yes a lot of people now carry these swab kits (NHS and security staff etc) although I did hear of one case where an alleged spitter claimed to be suffering from hayfever and that he had unintentionally sneezed on his victim and no further action was taken.

Thankfully such incidents do seem pretty rare though, I spoke to a copper who had been called quite a few names in his 20 odd years in the job, physically assaulted on a few occasions but he had never been spat at.

 

[Flamingo]

The only occasion anybody has ever spat at me it missed (I was on a train and he was on the platform) and I could not find it. Mind you, the guy was lucky as my instinctive reaction was to swing my Bardic Lamp (which was in my hand) at his head, and if he hadn't jumped back he'd have been spitting teeth. He had just been removed from the train for harassing a female passenger.

After the train left he demanded a complaint form from the platform staff, but unfortunately never sent it in as then BTP might have found him...