Four-year wait for Central line CCTV ‘puts thousands at risk of sex attacks’

Sadiq Khan has come under pressure to speed up the introduction of CCTV cameras on the Tube line with the most sexual assaults.

The Mayor was warned that a four-year wait to complete the installation of cameras on the Central line left many passengers at risk. There has been a 43 per cent increase in reports of sexual assault on the Tube since 2016.

Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey said perpetrators were targeting the line — the second busiest in London — because of the absence of cameras.

A row broke out after Mr Khan admitted on-board cameras would not be fully in operation on the line until 2023.

Mr Bailey said: “You have been Mayor for three years. You could have started much earlier. Are you a bit disappointed we are going to have to wait until 2023? At the current rate, thousands of women will be assaulted in that time.”

A £350 million renovation of Central line trains is due to start at the end of next year. This will include fitting CCTV and enabling the trains and carriages to remain in service for another decade.

The number of reported sexual attacks on the Central line rose from 221 in 2015-16 to 292 in 2017-18.

There were 168 reports on the Victoria line in 2017-18 and 144 on the Northern line. Figures for 2018-19 are due to be published in January. Across the Tube network, the number of sexual assaults has risen from 844 in 2015-16 to 1,206 in 2018-19.

TfL said assaults tend to be more common on packed trains, when CCTV may be less able to record the incident.It added that more victims had come forward as a result of the Report It To Stop It campaign, launched in 2015.

Mr Khan said it had been “clear for many years” that the line needed CCTV and blamed his predecessor as mayor, Boris Johnson, for failing to put plans in place. He said it was impossible to “retro-fit” cameras as each train’s existing power supply was too low.

The Mayor said the Central line was a “priority” for British Transport Police and TfL “was doing everything possible to get cameras on the trains on the Central line as soon as possible”.

The Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines are also without on-board CCTV but new Piccadilly line trains have been ordered, and the Bakerloo is one of the least well-used lines.

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