Police investigating an alleged assault of a man at a London train station are hunting for the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who is understood to have taken a flight out of Britain shortly after video was put online showing him near the injured man.
The video shows Robinson claiming the man had attacked him, and was filmed at London St Pancras station where he had been leafleting earlier in the day. Robinson is 42 and originally from Luton.
British Transport Police said they were called just after 8.40pm on Monday to reports of an assault. They said the injured man was in hospital “with serious injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening”.
The force said: “Following a report of an assault at St Pancras station last night (28 July), officers have confirmed that the suspect, a 42-year-old man from Bedfordshire, boarded a flight out of the country in the early hours of this morning.
“Detectives are continuing to work closely to progress the investigation and bring him into custody for questioning.”
It is not known to where the man flew.
In the video, a man can be seen lying face down and motionless, with Robinson pacing nearby. Robinson can be heard saying: “He come at me bruv.”
Shortly afterwards, Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – tells an onlooker: “He come at me, you saw that.”
The first police statement about the incident said: “British Transport Police (BTP) were called to St Pancras station just after 8.40pm yesterday (28 July) following reports of an assault. Officers attended and a man was taken to hospital with serious injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening.
“Overnight the investigation has been ongoing and officers have been making arrest enquiries. Anyone with information or who witnessed what happened can text 61016 quoting reference 655 of 28 July.”
The far-right monitoring group Hope Not Hate describes Robinson as the “best-known far-right extremist in Britain”. In recent years Robinson has claimed to be a journalist focusing on anti-Muslim and anti-migrant causes.
