Your Southend@YourSouthend
A large group of “feral” youths were seen jumping barriers and pushing past staff at Southend Victoria train station after returning from visiting the seafront.
The incident happened on Thursday evening, May 28, and has sparked calls for more British Transport Police officers at Southend Victoria and other stations across Essex.
The railway union RMT said the situation was “feral, unpredictable and could have escalated quickly”.
The group were seen forcing their way through the station’s ticket barriers, with Greater Anglia staff standing by as they pushed past staff.
Security officers employed by Greater Anglia were present, but appeared not to challenge the group, seemingly due to the number of youths involved.
The RMT is now raising concerns about the lack of British Transport Police officers available to help protect railway staff and passengers.
Kathy Mazur, RMT regional organiser, said the situation was “totally unacceptable” and said there were “no BTP officers in sight”.
She said visible patrols can make stations safer, pointing to BTP evening patrols at Kings Cross and St Pancras in autumn 2025, where RMT says staff assaults dropped by 59%, violence by 21%, public-order incidents by 41% and shoplifting by 25%.
The BTP said that just after 7pm on Thursday 28 May, officers on duty in Southend had been diverted to an emergency incident at Laindon station, where they arrested a man on suspicion of assault and took witness statements.
RMT has also criticised a three-year British Transport Police Authority funding plan approved in December 2025, which the union says could lead to frontline staff reductions in 2028/29.
The incident has sparked debate about fare evasion, station safety and the pressure placed on railway staff when large groups gather without police officers immediately present.