Moment man led away by police amid station fight during Southern rail chaos at Victoria station

Hatty Collier10 December 2016
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This is the moment a furious commuter was led away by police after a fight broke out amid Southern rail chaos at Victoria station.

Chaotic scenes unfolded at the station late on Thursday night after passengers grew frustrated by delays caused by the rail strike.

Witnesses said a scuffle broke out on Platform 17 after a huge crowd of travellers who had been kept waiting for more than 45 minutes began chanting for a train.

Footage filmed at the scene showed one man being marched away by several police officers and another passenger nursing a bloody nose as fellow commuters tried to help.

Scuffle: A man is led away by police after an altercation at Victoria station
Oliver Banks

Two men were arrested on suspicion of affray after officers were alerted to a disturbance on the platform shortly after 11pm, British Transport Police said.

Witness Oliver Banks said a huge crowd of commuters keen to get home had gathered on the platform but were given little information about when trains would be leaving.

The 19-year-old civil servant said a woman began leading the crowd in a light-hearted chant for trains but it descended into violence after a member of the public told her to f*** off.

He told the Standard: “There was this sort of verbal chant after about 45 minutes of no trains leaving and no information from staff.

Commuters assist a man with a bloody nose
Oliver Banks

“One woman lead the chant for 'trains' and loads of people came to the platform to join in.

“During that chant there was an altercation between two men, several other commuters tried to break it up; one of them sustained an injury to his nose.

“The police intervened as soon as they could get through the crowd, but overall the crush of people and serious lack of information contributed to a bit of a fever pitch.”

Another commuter wrote on Twitter: “What I just witnessed at London Victoria station should be HUGE wake up call to @SouthernRailUK. You are responsible. Never again.”

Frustrated: A woman leads a chant as commuters wait for information about trains at Victoria station
Oliver Banks

A BTP spokesman said: “A 26-year-old man and a 47-year-old man were both arrested on suspicion of affray and have been released on bail.”

A Southern spokesman told the Sun: "We’re very sorry for the crowding passengers had to endure at Victoria station last night during the RMT’s conductor strike and ASLEF overtime ban.

"Our staff were on the station and called the police the moment the fight broke out.

"After a search on the train, a man was arrested.

"Staff were passing on information to as many people as possible but after 11pm we are not allowed to make public address announcements at Victoria because of the hotels and residents nearby."

Half of Southern services were scrapped this week when drivers started a ban on overtime which coincided with a three-day walkout by members of the RMT.

The strike action was part of the long-running bitter dispute between rail workers and Southern over its plans to change the role of conductors and introduce driver-only operated trains.

Drivers from both unions are due to strike on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday of next week and for six days in January.

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