A student has described how passengers were held on a train at Bishop’s Stortford railway station while police arrested a gang of youths who had tried to rob two men on the service from Tottenham Hale.
Maria Carter was returning from a trip to the theatre in London with her drama class and had boarded a late-night train at Tottenham Hale, which was a direct service to Stortford.
“We hadn’t noticed any disturbance [on the journey], but when we got to Stortford and went to leave the doors wouldn’t open,” said the 18-year-old student of Herts and Essex High School in Warwick Road.
She said that when they eventually disembarked from the train the gang had been arrested.
After being reunited with fellow students from her drama class, Maria heard a knife had been used and one man had been threatened and chased through the train.
“I guess we were more scared when we didn’t know what was going on,” said Maria, who lives in Harlow.
Maria’s sister Kristina was passing the station and spotted four boys wearing balaclavas, each handcuffed to separate benches and accompanied by two police officers.
British Transport Police are investigating the incident and are appealing for witnesses.
A spokesman said: “At around 10.30pm on Tuesday April 23, five teenagers boarded the train at Tottenham Hale and attempted to rob two men.
“The train was held at Bishop’s Stortford, where officers attended and arrested a 15-year-old boy, two 16-year-old boys, a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man on suspicion of attempted robbery.
“The 15-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon. All five have been released under investigation.”
They are asking for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact BTP by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 755 of 23 April 2024. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.