Northern Rail starts crackdown on yobs and vandals on Bradford's railways (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Northern Rail starts crackdown on yobs and vandals on Bradford's railways

7:00am Saturday 6th October 2012 in News By James Rush, T&A Reporter

Northern Rail Prosecutor, Wayne Earnshaw, at Bradford Interchange with a poster that is part of a new campaign clamping down on anti-social

A major crackdown on crime and yobbish behaviour on the district’s railways is under way as police released images of an “aggressive” train passenger who smashed the glass door of a ticket gate at Bradford Interchange.

Bosses at Northern Rail have started a poster campaign in Bradford urging people to report crime in a bid to reduce anti-social behaviour after receiving complaints by commuters who have said they have had enough of yobs.

Since July the Telegraph & Argus has reported on: l lives being put at risk by vandals hurling stones and bricks at trains l a Steeton teenager left with a broken jaw after he was assaulted by two men at Leeds railway station l a 19-year-old woman assaulted on a train by a man who disembarked at Leeds but was thought to have changed on to a Bradford train.

Figures released by the railway operator says anti-social behaviour in Bradford has already fallen by 65 per cent in the past 12 months – but it admits more needs to be done.

And police yesterday released images of a man they would like to speak to after the ticket barrier door was smashed.

British Transport Police’s investigating officer PC Keith Warner said: “A man attempted to pass through the gate line at the station without a ticket. He was challenged by a member of rail staff and asked to purchase a ticket.

“When he refused the man was asked to leave. He then became aggressive and kicked the ticket barrier gate smashing the glass pane.

“Criminal damage such as this will not be tolerated on the rail network and we will do all we can to catch those responsible and bring them to justice.

“I’d urge anyone who may recognise the man pictured to come forward and help this investigation.”

Wayne Earnshaw, a prosecutor for the firm based at Bradford Interchange, said: “I’m afraid in this day and age it’s something that everybody has to deal with and what we are doing at Northern is trying our best to tackle the whole issue of anti-social behaviour.

“We know our customers and everybody in general has just about had enough of anti-social behaviour and we have realised that we are getting information in from customers identifying incidents of anti-social behaviour, which we are extremely pleased about.

“We will do everything in our power to hold people accountable.”

Northern Rail said that there were 92 incidents in Bradford between August 2010 and July 2011, but that fell to 32 between August 2011 and July 2012.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the incident at 9.34pm on Friday, September 7, should call BTP on 0800 405040 quoting background reference B12/NEA of 4 October 2012.