Railway sex crimes have doubled in five years

The number of reported sexual offences on Britain’s railways including the London Underground has more than doubled in five years.

Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed there were 2,382 such crimes reported on trains and at stations in 2017, up from 1,049 in 2013. The numbers, released by British Transport Police in response to a request by LBC, revealed the youngest victims were aged just six.

A total of 1,307 offences had been recorded by police in 2014 and 1,795 in 2015. In 2017 there were 210 incidents that involved children under the age of 18; and 185 of a total of 2,070 in 2016, LBC reported.