British Transport Police release CCTV images of man who repeatedly assaulted sleeping woman on Manchester to Peterborough train

From the Newshound archive · first published 15 October 2026.

A man sexually assaulted a sleeping woman multiple times on a train travelling from Manchester Piccadilly to Peterborough at around 11.45am on Friday 11 September. The woman woke during the attack, pushed the man away and moved to another carriage before he slipped away at Peterborough station. British Transport Police have now released CCTV images of a man they believe can help their investigation.

The ScotRail attacks come as BTP figures show sexual offences on Scotland's rail network rose 30 per cent in the April-to-June quarter compared with the same period last year.

In a separate, highly unusual case, a woman sexually assaulted a man as he walked through a carriage on a ScotRail service from Dalmuir to Larkhall just before 9.30pm on 3 October.

BTP says the female suspect in the ScotRail case is not currently being sought, but is appealing for witnesses — including anyone who challenged the woman at the time.