4:22pm Tuesday 6th November 2007
By Helen Husbands
A woman grabbed a rail worker by the throat when he asked to see her ticket.
The thug also tried to snatch a phone out of the man's hand when he called police.
The suspect entered New Malden railway station at around 9am on September 7.
She argued with the ticket inspector before causing a disturbance in the ticket office. She was told to leave and began swearing and shouting.
As the ticket inspector called British Transport Police, the woman tried to take the phone but he pulled away.
She responded by grabbing his neck and shaking him, while verbally abusing him.
She left the station and was last seen walking east up Dukes Avenue.
The woman is white, 5ft 5in, in her mid 30s. She is slim with shoulder length brown hair.
She wore a striped blue and pink rugby top with the number 4 on the front and rear, light blue jeans and trainers.
The appeal comes as the BTP embarks on a two-month campaign to crackdown on passengers who physically assault or spit at rail staff.
The usual pan-London initiative - Operation Lockstock - targeting staff assaults has been expanded in the south to take in major rail hubs in Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Kent.
BTP will arrest anyone who verbally or physically assaults members of rail staff.
Anyone who recognises the woman in the CCTV still is asked to contact the witness appeal line on 0207 391 5275, quoting B6 of 5/11/2007.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk