Woman asleep on train woke up to naked man beside her
I'm sure at some point we've all fallen asleep on a train, but the last thing you’d expect to wake up to find would be a person in the nude sitting beside you.
Unfortunately, this was the case on an early morning train from Polmont to Edinburgh on April 20 when a female passenger woke up to find a naked man on a seat next to her.
Now, the British Transport Police is appealing for the identity of the man on the grounds of public indecency.
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According to police - who have CCTV footage of the incident - the man in question was wearing a t-shirt, black joggers and a pair of boots, which he changed into around the time of the Polmont to Edinburgh Waverley service at 07:20am.
The perpetrator is said to be aged 65 to 70, white with a ‘medium’ or ‘slim’ build and sports short grey hair and stubble.
In response to this shocking incident, the British Transport Police is urging others who experience harassment or assault to 'discreetly' report it through the 61016 text message service number.
It is also asking those who witnessed the events to get in touch for further information.
In a report from Transport Scotland regarding safety and public transport, it found that one-third of women had concerns surrounding whether they were safe when taking public forms of travel.
Even recent figures from the British Transport Police showed there were 63 reports of sexual assaults on ScotRail trains recorded between 2017 and 2021.
Jenny Gilruth, the former transport minister who commissioned the study, said it showed 'just how exhausting it is to be a woman in Scotland in 2023 just wanting to travel home safely'.
She continued: "Women shouldn't have to tolerate this.
"They should be able to travel on public transport in safety and men should learn how to behave themselves."
The report detailed some methods that women have used in order to keep themselves safe at night.
The list included things such as avoiding the top section on a double-decker bus and staying downstairs, or sitting close to the driver.
Some points even suggested keeping a key in their hands while nearing their home in order to open the door quickly or to use as a weapon.
Gilruth said the report highlighted how women and girls 'shoulder significant responsibility' for taking personal measures to ensure they're safe.
She explained: "They are often in a constant state of vigilance, particularly at night time, and as a result end up changing their plans - only travelling at certain points of the day or not using public transport altogether.
"This is simply not acceptable in 21st century Scotland."
In relation to the reported number of sexual assaults, ScotRail said any incident reported is fully investigated and it is committed to working with the British Transport Police on this matter.
In a statement, Safety director David Lister said: "ScotRail works very closely with British Transport Police to ensure that Scotland's Railway is a safe environment for our customers, and our own people.
"If anyone observes any inappropriate behaviour on our trains or at stations, they should contact the BTP and report those responsible."
Britt Jones