Tube touts 'attacking and threatening staff'

Ticket touts are attacking and threatening Tube staff to protect their lucrative income, it was revealed today. Unions said one London Underground supervisor was attacked last month by three men, one wielding a hammer.

Another supervisor had been told he would have his throat cut unless he let touts operate. They can earn hundreds of pounds a day re-selling Travelcards collected at station exits. A particularly-vicious gang was said to be targeting the Northern line.

The TSSA union said British Transport Police did not always respond quickly and warned it could order staff to boycott dangerous stat ions. An LU spokesman defended police response times, saying an extra 200 officers had been recruited.