This is the shocking moment a man was knocked unconscious at a London railway station after an argument broke out over face masks.
William, whose name has been changed for anonymity, needed hospital treatment for a severe laceration and stitches for a head wound after being attacked by a fellow traveller in Clapham Junction.
William and his friend were arguing with a station worker by the ticket barriers about why she was not wearing a face mask.
His friend, who was filming the incident, captured the moment a white man in a grey hoodie walked with a pram past the heated exchange. The man had a child with him and was also not wearing a mask.
William can be heard saying "he's not wearing one either," which he said was not directed at the man with the pram.
Footage shows the man turning round, leaving his pram and shouting "Don't f*****g start on me" before knocking William unconscious to the floor.
He then walks away with the pram and child, leaving William bleeding on the floor.
South Western Railway said staff gave first aid to William and called the police.
William said: “My friend asked one of the station staff a totally reasonable and polite question ‘are you exempt from wearing a mask’.
“She’d snapped back saying ‘none of your business’. Admittedly I lost my temper a bit.
“It escalated into a row with other station staff… then you can see the rest… thug leaves the scene, staff do nothing.
“No idea who he is, just some random person who was walking without a face covering assumed when I was talking to the guard just flew off straight away bang.”
The station worker that William was talking to at first is exempt from wearing face masks, South Western Railway said. Face coverings have been compulsory for most people in England on public transport since June 15, to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
A spokesperson for South Western Railway said: “Our staff reported this incident to the British Transport Police who are now investigating this.
“We will cooperate in this investigation fully, but as it is ongoing it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”
The Standard has contacted the British Transport Police for comment.
With additional reporting by PA
