British Transport Police release CCTV of man who sat next to lone woman on train before sexually assaulting her

From the Newshound archive · first published 9 October 2026.

A woman was sexually assaulted on a Southeastern train from Charing Cross to London Bridge at around 10pm on Wednesday 23 September after a man chose to sit next to her despite other seats being free. British Transport Police have released CCTV images of a man they want to identify, describing him as of Black or South Asian heritage, wearing black headphones and a black t-shirt under a zip-up jacket. Detectives believe he may hold information vital to the investigation.

The assault took place on a train to London Bridge, with the man deliberately targeting the lone woman in an otherwise available carriage.

Police describe the suspect as carrying a large bottle of Lucozade at the time of the attack on 23 September.

Anyone with information can contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, quoting reference 856 of 23 September.