Rail Stabbing: Two Suspects Snapped On CCTV

Police have released CCTV images of two men they are seeking after a ticket inspector was stabbed at a railway station in Essex.

The 42-year-old man was knifed in the back after asking two youths, who were apparently travelling without tickets, to get off a train at East Tilsbury.

He was taken to Basildon University Hospital, where he received three stitches. His injuries are not life-threatening.

The CCTV pictures released by British Transport Police show two white youths, one wearing a black hooded top and the other a grey top and grey flat cap.

Chief Superintendent Paul Brogden appealed for witnesses to come forward.

"This was an appalling and disgraceful attack on a man who was simply doing his job and who had quite rightly asked the men to leave the train," he said.

The inspector was attacked just before 9pm on Friday on the 8.20pm C2C service from Southend Central to Fenchurch Street in London.

Julian Drury, managing director of C2C, said: "Thankfully incidents of this nature are extremely rare and maximum efforts are being made to identify the suspects."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, said: "The RMT would urge anyone with any information on this shocking incident to contact the police urgently.

"Once again it shows the dangers that transport staff face every day and particularly over the Christmas and New Year period.

"The perpetrators of this vicious and cowardly assault must be caught and the authorities need to show that those who attack public service workers will be severely punished."