Two 'wellbeing support officers' working at a London railway station have been dismissed following a filmed confrontation with a female commuter. The video, which spread widely online, captures a woman engaged in a heated exchange with two men in high-visibility jackets marked with the name of their employer, Morson Group.
Standing on a platform at Homerton station in east London, the men can be heard asking the woman to leave. In response, she requests identification. The events leading up to the encounter remain unclear, but Morson Group has labelled the pair's conduct as 'not acceptable'. Following an investigation, the two men have been let go for failing to meet 'strict behavioural standards'.
In the footage, the woman questions the men: 'Who are you? You're not even wearing proper uniform. You're telling me you're not TfL, you think you're a security guard.' She accused them of calling her a 'little tramp' and 'a little Karen' after they challenged her for speaking loudly on her phone. One of the men is heard saying, 'You're shouting, you're raising your voice, there are little kids here.'
Morson Group, which specialises in infrastructure, rail, and construction projects, stated that the two men were stationed to provide safeguarding and wellbeing support. However, the company told the Daily Mail that the operatives did not adhere to their training and have since been removed from their roles.
In a statement, the company said: 'We can confirm that two operatives engaged by Morson Vital to provide visible safeguarding and wellbeing support at Homerton Station approached a female commuter who had become animated during a phone conversation on the platform. This was in line with the training we provide to operatives in this role, which involves identifying potentially hazardous behaviours and de-escalating risks to support passenger safety. Since this incident, we have carried out a thorough investigation. Our investigation concluded that the individuals involved did not adhere to their Morson Vital training. It also established that they did not follow strict behavioural standards, and failed to communicate the purpose of their intervention whilst wearing non-compliant uniform, which includes wearing visible ID. As a result, these operatives are no longer engaged by Morson Vital.'
