British Transport Police (BTP) are investigating an assault on a Transport for London (TfL) worker at Ilford station on the Elizabeth line. The incident occurred on the afternoon of Friday, May 22, when a woman was confronted for fare evasion.
According to police, the woman passed through the station's ticket barriers without paying. When challenged by a member of TfL staff, she allegedly responded by spitting in the employee's face before fleeing the station. BTP has released two CCTV images of a woman they believe could have information to assist with their investigation.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. during rush hour. The woman is described as having spat at the staff member before running off.
This event occurs as TfL reported a significant increase in penalty fares issued across its network over the past year. For the year ending in March, 69,001 penalty fares were issued, a 9 percent increase from the prior 12 months. Additionally, 21,533 cases resulted in reports for possible prosecution, an increase of 19 percent year-on-year.
Fare evasion costs TfL an estimated £200 million annually, with around 400,000 journeys on a typical weekday being evaded. Across the UK's train network, industry body the Rail Delivery Group estimates that £350 million to £400 million in annual fares revenue is lost to fraud and ticketless travel each year.
In response to rising fare evasion, the Department for Transport announced plans last week to install new ticket barriers at railway stations across England. This £33.4 million investment will fund taller gates designed to prevent passengers from jumping over them, alongside additional standard waist-high gates.
BTP is appealing for the public's help to identify the woman. Anyone with information can contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 405040, quoting reference 530 of May 22. Anonymous tips can also be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.