Northern issues plea to anyone travelling by train this Christmas
It follows reports of an anti-social behaviour on their services
Northern has issued a plea to anyone travelling on their trains over Christmas, following reports of anti-social behaviour directed at staff.
The rail operator said 182 public order offences had been reported this year, a fall of around 15% year-on-year.
But despite, the drop, the firm said the number was still "unacceptable".
Matt Rice, chief operating officer for Northern, said: “Whilst a reduction in the number of incidents is welcome – the fact that there have been 182 offences committed against my colleagues is totally unacceptable.
“Our traincrew and station staff are there to help our customers get where they want to be. They deserve to be treated with respect and the overwhelming majority of our customers do just that.
“However, if anyone does witness any unacceptable behaviour directed towards railway employees, I would urge them to contact British Transport Police.”
It was in 2021 that Northern introduced the use of body-worn cameras for its staff.
The cameras, which can be worn by traincrew and station staff, do not record all the time, but instead are used to capture specific incidents as evidence for British Transport Police.
The high-quality footage is suitable for use in criminal cases and has proved useful in securing convictions in court.
The introduction of body-worn cameras was part of Northern’s work to modernise its network and deliver safer journeys for its customers.