British Transport Police are searching for a man who bit a fellow passenger's finger so hard it caused nerve and ligament damage, after threatening to kill everyone on a train from London Cannon Street to Orpington.
Attack details
The incident occurred at around 9.20pm on Thursday, May 21, when a man became abusive and aggressive towards passengers, threatening to kill them. He then attacked a man he did not know. Other passengers intervened to restrain him, but he bit another male passenger's finger, causing a deep injury with nerve and ligament damage, according to police.
The assailant continued to behave aggressively, attempting to assault other people as they left the train at New Cross station.
Suspect description
CCTV images show the suspect wearing a cap with eyes printed on it, a turquoise and black puffer jacket, and grey jeans. Police believe he may have information crucial to the investigation.
Safety on London transport
London's public transport and rail network carry millions daily. In 2025, violent incidents on the Transport for London network rose slightly to 4,703 from 4,478 in 2024. Most occurred on the Underground (1,484), followed by buses (1,398). The Elizabeth line saw an increase of 94 offences. Most incidents were violence without injury.
Westminster Tube station had the most offences in 2025 (589), followed by Newham (344) and Camden (310). Peak offending times were between 4pm and 8pm. On the TfL network, four people were killed and 173 seriously injured in 2025/26, with most serious injuries involving buses (77) and the Underground (72). The crime rate per million passengers is 2.6.
At National Rail stations, Euston recorded the most crime (1,536 offences), followed by King’s Cross (1,479) and London Bridge (1,074).
