Mary Mandefield, a BBC radio presenter, has revealed how a group of men subjected “racist and misogynistic abuse at multiple passengers” on a train in south London. The incident took place on Thursday night, as Mandefield was travelling from Bedford to Three Bridges. She explained how the men joined the train in pursuit of another passenger and subsequently got into several physical fights while also hurling abuse at passengers. The presenter took to social media to highlight the incident as well as post a brief video of the scuffle.
While British Transport Police have launched an investigation into the matter, those responsible have yet to be apprehended. The transport police did add that officers had been dispatched to the East Croydon railway station after receiving reports of a brawl on board a train. “Officers attended and those involved were identified and taken off the service,” a spokesperson for the BTP said, hinting that the matter was still under investigation.
As part of her attempt to publicise the abuse that happened on the train, Mandefield took to social media to post a brief clip of the incident. Speaking to the BBC, she explained how one of the men threatened her after he spotted her filming. Mandefield, who presents shows on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra, also recounted how she experienced racist and abusive comments online since posting the footage.
Govia Thameslink Railway’s director of health, safety, and security, Sam Facey, condemned the behaviour, stating: “Behaviour like this is completely unacceptable and will never be tolerated. This was a horrible experience for those involved.” In spite of the condemnation from the rail company and the British Transport Police, further details regarding the incident remain scarce
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