MORE rail staff are to be put on duty at night in Southend to reassure passengers after latest figures showed an increase in crimes.

Train company c2c has announced employees will be on hand to help passengers throughout the day, from before the first train arrives until after the last service departs.

Until Friday, only the busiest stations had been staffed throughout the day, with ticket offices at smaller stops closing in the early afternoon.

However, a c2c spokesman said the staff would provide a more visible and reassuring presence, after figures from British Transport Police showed that from September 2014 to August 2015 there were 168 crimes at nine stations in the area, compared to 156 crimes from September 2013 until August 2014.

He said local stations where staff would now be on duty throughout the day included Southend East and Thorpe Bay, where they would be standing by the ticket gate in yellow jackets to help passengers if they needed assistance.

The spokesman said: “Reassurance is probably the key word.

It is one of those things where it is not to make things safe because stations are already safe places to be.

“It is to reassure people that are there late at night and feel vulnerable.

"We have always been able to monitor stations on CCTV, but I think seeing a member of staff in a yellow jacket reassures passengers that they are not alone.”

Staff will be offered overtime to work the extra hours to cover the stations at night.

They will also help with queries and assist passengers in wheelchairs on to trains.

c2c managing director Julian Drury said: “We are doing this because many passengers have told us they really value having a human presence at the station.

Whether our customers want to buy a ticket, ask a query, or just be reassured that they are not alone, we will have someone there.

"This is one of several steps we are taking to improve our passengers’ journey, from a new timetable that provides a seat to more people travelling the longest distances, to discounted tickets and free wi-fi.”

The British Transport Police figures cover stations including Shoebury, Thorpe Bay, Southend East, Southend Central, Southend Victoria, Westcliff, Chalkwell, Leigh-On-Sea and Rochford.

The Echo reported last week how a member of staff at Southend Central stepped in to stop a boy allegedly trying to steal a bike from the station.

There was also an increase in the number of antisocial behaviour offences with 17 being recorded between September 2014 and August 2015, compared to 14 for the previous year.

However, the number of violent or sexual offences remained the same at 22.

The station recording the highest number of crimes last year was Leigh with 31, though this represented a decrease on the previous year when 37 were recorded.

Of the main Southend stations, Central and Victoria both recorded 26 offences over the last year, while the equivalent figures for the previous year were 27 and 23 respectively. 

Echo:

c2c managing director Julian Drury

A TRAIN passenger was tripped up and punched in a frightening attack in broad daylight.

The 24-year-old victim boarded a train at Leigh travelling towards Fenchurch Street when he was tripped up by two men as he made his way to the toilet.

When he turned round to confront them, he was attacked by both men and punched down to the floor of the carriage.

Det Con David Bishop said: “As he made his way through the carriage towards the toilet, he passed two men who looked like they were in their thirties. 

"One of them tripped the victim up.

“The victim turned to protest about this behaviour, but was confronted by the other man.”

The victim managed to scramble off the train at Benfleet, but went to hospital suffering with a broken nose and cuts and bruises to his body.

An ambulance crew and a rapid response car was sent to Ferry Road at about 7.05am to help the man.

They took him to Southend Hospital for further treatment and also treated a woman at the scene who had fainted at the sight of blood.

Det Con Bishop is now appealing for anyone with information on the attack to come forward. The attack happened onboard the 6.50pm Southend Central to Fenchurch Street train as it travelled between Leigh-onSea and Benfleet on Sunday, September 20.

Anyone with information is urged to call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference ESUB/B3.