'Indifferent' London Tube staff and lack of action on crime blamed for victims not coming forward

Victims of crime on London's public transport network are staying silent due to 'indifferent staff' and a 'fragmented' and 'confusing' reporting system. 

The latest report from London TravelWatch found 'serious issues' with the current reporting process for those who experience unwanted behaviour on their commute.

The travel watchdog found that four in five people said they would report an incident of hate or sexual harassment on London transport, but only two in five who experience such an incident come forward.

Transport staff's 'indifference' and bystander inaction can make victims feel as if the incident isn't serious enough to report, TravelWatch found. 

Victims of crime told the watchdog that station staff can be absent, inaccessible and at times physically separated from passengers. 

One person told the report: 'I looked at [station staff], they looked at me and I just knew by their faces... they're just gonna be disinterested...'

'There was eye contact, but there was no smile or 'you okay? are you lost?''

Another said there were 'literally no staff' present on their commute home.

A third said: 'I hear on the speakers they always say if I see anything suspicious, call this number. But that's if it's bags because of bomb threats... I've never once heard them say if you're experiencing any hate or sexual assault, call this number.'

The report found victims who report an incident are often redirected and told to 'go somewhere else' or 'call another number' during moments of significant distress. 

Some receive generic, automated responses instead of personal updates and many get nothing back and never achieve justice or closure.  

In 2025, 1,724 hate crime offences were recorded across the Transport for London (TfL) network, however research suggests this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Since 2023, 41 per cent of Londoners experienced unwanted behaviour on the network, most commonly involving antisocial behaviour and verbal harassment.

The report found members of the LGBTQ+ community, those aged 18-34, women, and disabled people were the people most affected.

In a special report for the Daily Mail's investigative series 'Underground: UK', Mimi Yates travelled across London's transport network at all hours of the day and night, secretly filming what happened to her as a young woman on her own.

She was verbally sexually harassed around eight times and physically assaulted once on four journeys in the course of her undercover probe, at night and during the day.

It comes after a London Assembly report in March described 'unacceptable' levels of violence against women and girls across the capital's public transport network.

In 2025, 4,593 sex-based offences against women and girls were recorded yet only a tiny proportion, around 3 per cent, led to a charge or summons. 

Some 58 per cent of cases identified no suspect at all, despite an extensive network of CCTV and ticketing data that can help trace journeys. 

Recent cases show why. In May, Salman Yousaf, 46, was jailed for eight sexual assaults and one count of outraging public decency on the Night Tube.

He targeted lone women who'd fallen asleep on the Central and Jubilee Lines, but police only connected him to the attacks when he was already in prison for another crime. In March, Craig Anderson, 38, was jailed after sexually assaulting four women and stalking another across the railway network. 

Prosecutors described him as a man who 'did not take no for an answer'.

TravelWatch found that many victims don't know how to report an incident, feel that it is not worth reporting, or lack the confidence that any action will be taken. 

It said the current 'fragmented' reporting process - across multiple operators, public authorities and police forces - is confusing and complex.

It recommends that it be replaced by a streamlined system that prioritises the immediate safety of the victim as well as consistent support. 

Staff need to be trained to provide a 'proactive first response', the report states, so they can act as 'compassionate guides throughout the victim experience'. 

This includes making supportive referrals and delivering compassionate updates and case closure information with empathy to victims. 

TravelWatch said victims want to feel safe and emotionally seen in the immediate aftermath of an incident. 

They also require clear validation that what they've experienced is worth reporting, especially for non-physical incidents. 

Awareness and accessibility of different reporting routes is essential, the watchdog said, as well as meaningful feedback irrespective of the outcome of a report. 

Siwan Hayward, TfL's Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, said: 'We want every victim to feel confident in coming forward and to know they will be listened to and supported. While we recognise there is always more to do to improve victims' experiences, we are working closely with the police to strengthen reporting, support investigations and bring offenders to justice.

'All TfL stations are covered by CCTV, and TfL staff use body-worn cameras that help provide vital evidence for investigations and prosecutions. 

'Alongside investment in staff training, targeted enforcement and specialist operations, TfL and the wider rail industry fund a dedicated British Transport Police Violence Against Women and Girls taskforce to help catch and convict offenders.

'Tackling violence against women and girls remains an absolute priority, and we are determined to make London's transport network safer for everyone. 

'Everyone has the right to feel safe when using public transport and we are working with our policing partners to investigate the issues raised in this report.'