Oil workers are behaving on trains following a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, according to the British Transport Police.

Since August, officers have monitored more than 2000 offshore workers travelling on 350 trains between Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Police also kept tabs on oil and gas staff travelling to England.

The BTP say the operation, which was introduced following a rise in “unsavoury incidents”, has helped cut down on bad behaviour.

Sergeant Ashley Forbes of BTP, who co-ordinated the initiative, said: “There is no doubt that the conduct of those from the offshore industry using the rail network has noticeably improved since the joint problem solving plan commenced last year. It is pleasing that the warnings issued by BTP and the train operators appear, in the main, to have been heeded.”

“There will be no complacency and officers will continue to carry out high-visibility patrols at stations and on trains and work with our rail industry partners to tackle the issue.

“We have made it clear that passengers and rail staff, who may also be Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) members, should be able to travel and work with encountering alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour, which is often experienced when offshore workers are travelling.”

RMT’s Willie Strang added: “We have proactively worked with British Transport Police by highlighting the issue of anti-social behaviour in union journals which are sent to members in the rail and offshore sector.

“We have also seen some positive change in the attitudes from offshore workers towards us and hope this continues.”

Source: news.stv.tv

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