The move comes amid a reported rise of robberies by individuals concealing their identities, the British Transport Police said
Police officers were given powers to remove face coverings from people travelling on the Victoria Line last weekend.
The move comes amid a reported rise of robberies by individuals concealing their identities, the British Transport Police (BTP) said.
Failure to comply with an order to remove or hand over a face covering could result in a conviction and imprisonment for up to one month or a fine of up to £1,000, the police force said in an online statement.
According to the force, the “overwhelming” majority of robbery victims on the Victoria Line are teenagers. The order was effective last weekend on Friday and Saturday night, and Sunday evening. When asked if the order would be extended, a spokesperson from the BTP said there aren’t currently any plans to run it this weekend but that the force will issue any changes to those plans over social media or on its website.
In the statement, the British Transport Police said: “An authority is now in place under section 60aa of the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act on the Victoria Line between Brixton and Walthamstow Central. In many cases these offences are conducted by individuals who conceal their identities using face coverings”.
Have you been robbed on the Victoria Line while travelling ? Get in touch: [email protected]
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