Man banned from all Northern services for 18 months thanks to body worn camera footage showing 2-year campaign of abuse

Joseph Bramley (30), also known as Joseph Gammell, of Cushy Cow Lane in Ryton was issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) at Newcastle Magistrates Court on Friday, 2 February 2024.

The CBO was issued following a string of offences over a two-year period including repeated fare evasion, verbal threats of a racist nature towards members of train crew, threats of physical violence towards members of train crew and causing damage to train carriages.

It prohibits Bramley from travelling on any train operated by Northern as well as entering any station premise managed by them.

The ban includes all railway stations on the Tyne Valley line between Newcastle & Carlisle (Metro Centre, Blaydon, Wylam, Prudhoe, Stocksfield, Riding Mill, Corbridge, Hexham, Haydon Bridge, Bardon Mill, Haltwhistle, Brampton and Wetheral).

The CBO was achieved thanks to the use of body worn camera footage that was shown in court.

Northen has recently invested £1.7m in the roll-out of more than 1,000 body worn camera units to colleagues across its network, taking the total number now in operation to 1,300.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “This particular individual has plagued the Tyne Valley route with persistent anti-social behaviour.

“It was through the use of body worn camera footage that we were able to evidence his actions in court and we welcome the CBO that the Court has handed down.

“We hope this case will act as a deterrent to others who think it is acceptable to behave this way towards fellow customers, our colleagues and our property – and that body worn cameras can and will capture their behaviour and the footage will be used against them in court.”

In addition to the roll-out of body-worn camera equipment, Northern has invested in high-definition CCTV on-board its trains that can be monitored in real time by British Transport Police.

Cameras use the ‘what3words’ system to identify the exact location of suspicious activity and that footage along with the geographical data is then supplied to the police to assist with criminal prosecutions.

Anyone who witnesses anti-social behaviour or other criminal activity on the railway should contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40.

They can also report crimes via the British Transport Police ‘Railway Guardian’ app, an all-in-one safety app that allows users to report crimes or concerns on the rail network, share journeys with trusted contacts and get access to news, guides and support.

The app is available to download from Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.