On Friday evening a friend of mine witnessed an assault by some employees of C2C at Southend East train station. The pictures depict what happens to you if you don't have a ticket. Here is a copy of the letter that Chris sent to the Evening Echo:
Please find herewith pictures I took with my mobile phones at approximately 6.25 yesterday inside the Riviera Drive entrance to Southend East Station.
The pictures clearly show members of C2C staff using an inappropriate restraining method against a passenger who allegedly had not paid his fare.
The method used - holding the man with 2 hands round his throat in addition to pinning his arms, legs and torso was inappropriate and not consistent with approved Contol and Restraint Procedeures.- the gentleman was panicking and was visibly experiencing problems with his breathing trying to get into a position which would relax the grip on his windpipe. There was no reaction to this from the C2C staff restraining him though this was evident to several passing passengers disembarking from the 5.30 from Fenchurch Street.
When several passengers including myself attempted to intervene we were told it was none of our business and that we should go away.
The C2C staff were handling the man very roughly and were also using inappropriate language in a threatening way at a low volume presumably to minimise the risk of being overheard by too many passing commuters.
I clearly heard the phrase “ Go on bite me you bastard” - presumably due to the way the gentleman under restraint was attempting to avoid the p[ressure on his throat from two hands held arround his throut and also the words “ We will have you under the counter terrorism act”. The second comment seemed to cause other members of the C2C staff present some particular amusement.
Throughout the episode the C2C staff were rude and dismissive to several passengers who tried to reason with them about the level of force being used. The C2C staff refused on several occasions to give their names and at least one member of staff turned his back so that his photo could not be taken when he became aware that mobile phone cameras were being used by passengers to record the incident. This is clearly a sign of guilt. In contrast the gentleman under restraint was calling to passing passsengers to assist him and seemed relieved by their attempted intervention.
The whole thing was highly unacceptable and the treatment of this gentlemen by C2C staff was grossly out of proportion.
One must also speculate whether the reaction from C2C staff would have been the same had the gentleman been of indigenous white extraction....
