‘This is England’: Train passengers horrified as man launches into racist tirade in packed carriage
Passengers on service said they were abused by group on train after men got on at London Bridge
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This is the shocking moment a man launches into a racist tirade at passengers on a packed London train.
Witnesses said a group of four men got onto a train at London Bridge at around 11pm on Thursday night, claiming that someone had brushed past them on an escalator and they wanted to find them.
A passenger began filming a man dressed in a tan-coloured coat, who can be heard shouting at the carriage “listen, this is England, not no f***ing foreign c*** like you lot”.
A woman in her 70s suffered racist abuse screamed in her face after she challenged the group, passengers on the Bedford service to Three Bridges said.
A video showing part of the confrontation was posted to X, with one passenger saying it was “easily the most horrendous journey and experience” she had ever had.
Mary Mandefield, a BBC and Hits Radio presenter on the carriage, told The Independent: “Four of them got on at London Bridge.
“The police weren’t on the train. We were on a very long stretch between Norwood Junction stuck with them.
“The main guy who started it all got on then his friends got all riled up.
“A lot of people did challenge them but then they would turn on anyone who did stand up to them.
“So we were just like ‘we will leave them alone and wait for police to come’.”
The witness said an “amazing” pensioner confronted the group during the incident.
She added: “The girl sitting next to me had to shield me, she was very scared.
“As soon as I stopped filming he started calling me a C-word and telling me to go back to my own country, all of that. The video is the calmest bit.
“A woman got off at the same time as me. She told me she was in her 70s but needed to stand up to him. But he was still shouting in her face.”
In the video, a passenger hits back at the tirade calling it “embarrassing” before a second man appears to shout back: “It’s not about race, it’s not about race.”
Another tells the first man to “chill out” before telling him: “You’re getting thrown out now.”
The video quickly went viral with social media users expressing their disgust.
Ms Mandefield posted on X about the effect on her: “People can say racism isn’t a big thing anymore, but you wait until you’re being stared down by a racist shouting slurs at you (and every person of colour) when they have that eyes glazed over look and you know they could knock you out if they wanted to.
“Lots of people shaken and a few tears, including kids, but all ok otherwise.”
British Transport police said they were investigating two counts of racially aggravated section 5 public order offences. The force added that a number of people were taken off the train but no arrests have been made.
A spokesperson said: “Officers were called to East Croydon railway station via a text to 61016 at around 22.59pm yesterday (18 April), following reports of a fight on board a train from Luton to Three Bridges.
“Officers attended and those involved were identified and taken off the service. Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016, or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 930 of 18/04/2024.”
Sam Facey, Govia Thameslink Railway’s Safety, Health and Security Director, said: ‘Behaviour like this is completely unacceptable and will never be tolerated. This was a horrible experience for those involved.
‘We would like to thank railway staff who intervened and the British Transport Police officers who responded so promptly. We will continue to assist the BTP with their enquiries.’