What started as an ordinary afternoon commute turned into chaos when a man stripped naked on a crowded London Underground train, horrifying fellow passengers—many of them parents and children on summer break.
Panic on the Hammersmith & City Line
The unsettling scene unfolded around 3:30pm on the Hammersmith & City Line, just after the eastbound train pulled into Upton Park station.
Witnesses say the man, who was otherwise well-dressed and wearing expensive headphones, suddenly began shouting, dropped his trousers, and wrapped his belt around his neck—exposing his genitals to a packed carriage.
The sight of the man, completely unbothered by the shocked faces around him, triggered outrage.
A fellow passenger immediately stepped in and confronted him, calmly but firmly insisting, “You need to get off the train.”
Confrontation Turns Violent
But instead of leaving, the man responded with a barrage of swear words: “F*** off,” he reportedly shouted several times.
The passenger confronting him pushed back: “What do you mean f*** off? You need to get off the f***ing train. Now. There are kids on here.”
The train was full of children on school holidays, and the mood quickly shifted from confusion to collective fury.
Several other passengers took action when the man refused to cover himself.
Group of Commuters Step In
According to witnesses, a group of men surrounded the flasher and repeatedly told him to “pull your f***ing trousers up.”
When he didn’t comply and instead began swinging his belt at them, things escalated fast.
A scuffle broke out. The group overpowered him—snatching away his belt, pinning him to the ground with his pants still around his ankles, and twisting his arm behind his back.
Shouts of “We’ve got to get him off!” echoed through the carriage as the passengers physically removed him from the train at East Ham station. They dragged him out and held him on the platform while trying to alert staff.
Police Investigation Underway
An off-duty police officer, who happened to be on the train, took charge and made an arrest.
British Transport Police later confirmed the man was detained under the Mental Health Act and remains in hospital.
In a statement, the police said:
“Officers were called to reports of a man exposing himself on the District Line at East Ham Underground station at around 3.30pm yesterday.
The man had been assaulted by several passengers and was initially arrested by an off-duty officer before being detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital.”
TfL Crime Rates Under Fire
This shocking event adds to a growing list of disturbing incidents plaguing London’s Tube network—particularly under the tenure of Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Since Khan took office in 2016, Tube-related crime has more than doubled, rising from nine incidents per million journeys to over 21 by March 2024.
Critics accuse the Mayor of neglecting promises to maintain visible policing, including the closure of 24-hour police counters in boroughs across the capital.
Violence and Sexual Assault Cases on the Rise
Just last month, a fight broke out at a Tube station with a toddler caught up in the middle, ending up on the floor during the chaos.
In January, a woman was whipped in the face with a belt at Green Park by Liban Ahmed—who later received an 18-month suspended sentence.
In another case, Mansoor Ahmed, 30, was sentenced to 26 months in prison and placed on the sex offenders register for ten years after he sexually assaulted two women at separate stations.
Meanwhile, activist Jaya Pathak, who was harassed on the Victoria Line last year, has called for increased safety at quieter end-of-line stations after she was targeted by a man pretending to be drunk.
“He tried to touch me and laughed it off,” she said, urging TfL to staff remote stations to deter predators.
Attempted Murder and Anti-Semitic Abuse Also Reported
In a terrifying 2024 incident at Oxford Circus, homeless man Brwa Shorsh shoved a commuter onto the tracks just seconds before a train arrived.
The victim was miraculously saved, but Shorsh—who had a long history of violent behaviour—was later jailed for life with a minimum sentence of eight years.
Another case involved a Jewish man being verbally attacked on the Northern Line.
A vaping passenger accused him of religious violence, saying: “Your religion kills Muslims.”
The moment was captured on video and shared with the Campaign Against Antisemitism.
The Most Dangerous Tube and Train Stations in London
Earlier this year, the Daily Mail released data showing King’s Cross St Pancras as the most crime-ridden station in London, with over 4,100 incidents in 2024.
However, when crime is measured per passenger, Poplar on the DLR comes out worst, with 58.7 crimes per million people.
Cockfosters (57.4) and King’s Cross (51.4) follow closely behind.
Other notable stations include Epping, Upminster Bridge, and Finsbury Park—all with alarmingly high crime rates.
Which Tube Lines Are the Riskiest?
When looking at entire lines, the Overground’s Lioness Line between Euston and Watford Junction ranks as the most dangerous, with 28 crimes per million passengers.
The Victoria Line is next, with 26 per million, followed by the Metropolitan Line with 20.
On the other end, the safest lines are the DLR (8.3), the Suffragette Line (8.7), and the Jubilee Line (9.7).
These figures were calculated by combining crime data with passenger footfall, highlighting serious concerns about safety across the network.
Commuters Left Asking: What’s Being Done?
With violent and sexual crimes on the rise, passengers are increasingly feeling unsafe during what should be routine travel.
Campaigners and commuters alike are now urging TfL and city officials to take real action—to ensure that the London Underground doesn’t continue its alarming descent into lawlessness.