• Officers from BTP are releasing CCTV images of a woman they would like to speak with in connection to a racially aggravated assault on the Central Line.

At approximately 6.30pm on Thursday 28 December the victim, a woman aged in her thirties, boarded a Central Line train at Oxford Circus with three children, aged between two and five.

As the train travelled eastbound, another woman who was seated in the carriage began swearing loudly and being anti-social. The victim was mindful that her children could hear this language, so she asked the woman if she would stop swearing.

The woman immediately became aggressive and started racially abusing the victim. She threatened her and then shouted at the children and made threats towards them, saying she would have them kidnapped.

The torrent of verbal abuse continued for 20 minutes. The victim stood up to challenge the offender, who then kicked her in the stomach. The offender left the train at Mile End station.

Officers would now like to speak to the woman shown in the CCTV images, as she may have information which could help the investigation.

Investigating officer PC Alom Uddin, said: “This was an utterly awful experience for the woman and her children, who were all terrified by the woman’s aggressive and disgraceful actions. The children were all visibly upset.

“We will never tolerate hate crime on the rail network and working hard to identify the person responsible.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact BTP by sending a text to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 362 of 28/12/2017. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.