Man bottled by thug in tram attack
POLICE are searching for a man who bottled another tram passenger in Manchester city centre.
The victim was left ‘bleeding heavily’ after the attack at around 6pm as the tram pulled into the Manchester Piccadilly train station stop on the Ashton line.
The thug behind the attack fled the scene and is still at large, while the injured man was taken to hospital, police confirmed.
The Metrolink vehicle was taken out of service for police to carry out investigations.
It was the second anti-social incident of the day on the network, after a window was smashed by a lobbed ‘missile’ just 10 minutes earlier on the East Didsbury line.
This tram was also taken out of service.
Greater Manchester Police have recorded 240 assaults on Metrolink in the past seven months alone.
Thursday’s incidents come amid bolstered police efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour on the network, with a focus on the worst-hit Oldham and Rochdale line.
In response to the ongoing problems, police and security staff last week ‘flooded’ the network in their latest bid to combat violent behaviour.
Officers, both undercover and uniformed, were scrambled for the weeklong Operation Infinity – with a ‘bolstered’ force still in place.
Supt Julie Ellison, in charge of the Travelsafe team, said last week their concentrated effort in the school holidays would get their ‘zero tolerance’ message out.
She said the majority of trams ‘had no problems whatsoever.’
It follows the move in April to a 24-hour control room to monitor network cameras, increased patrols on lines including Oldham and Rochdale, and educational work with schools and parents. But anti-social behaviour has continued – and some leaders say the police and transport bosses may need to go further than their latest plan to end the crisis. Senior transport councillor Roger Jones has said the solution of guards on every tram should not be ruled out. He said whatever happens the problem needs to be solved, adding: “The transport committee feel that we can’t accept anti-social behaviour on a continual basis. “It will put people off using public transport.” If you can help the police investigation, call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.