British Transport Police seek man in connection with antisemitic abuse on a train

British Transport Police are seeking a man they think might have information about an incident of antisemitic abuse.

On Sunday, 31st January, a group of men believed to be Chelsea fans singled out an Orthodox Jewish man on a train and started to chant antisemitic abuse at him. The men boarded a Euston-bound train at 19:50 at Milton Keynes, following a match between Chelsea and the Milton Keynes Dons.

Detective Constable David Peek, from British Transport Police, said: “The carriage was crowded and they began using foul language. One of them singled out an Orthodox Jewish man and all of the men began chanting antisemitic abuse at him. The victim moved carriage as a result of this disgraceful behaviour. Nobody should have to put up with abuse just because of their race or religion, and we take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously. I think the man in the image I am issuing today will have information about the incident. Please tell us who he is?”

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference 210 of 21/03/2016. Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

British Transport Police generally has a strong record dealing with incidents of antisemitic racism and we hope that the public will provide the information that they need. At the beginning of the month, two West Ham fans were convicted for antisemitic chanting on a train after being identified by the public following an appeal for witnesses by British Transport Police, with which we were pleased to be able to assist.