Hunt for thugs who ranted that ‘gays should be strung up’ before launching homophobic attack

A group of thugs ranted that ‘gays should be strung up’ before launching a brutal homophobic attack on a train passenger, police said. 

Detectives are hunting the group and have issued CCTV images of the suspects following the assault on a train from London Liverpool Street to Shoeburyness, in Essex.

The victim was punched several times in the head and fell to the ground in the ‘unprovoked’ attack as he we went to leave the train at Upminster station, in east London.     

A group of thugs ranted that ‘gays should be strung up’ before launching a brutal homophobic attack on a train passenger, police said. Detectives are hunting the group and have issued CCTV images of the suspects following the assault on a train from London Liverpool Street to Shoeburyness, in Essex

He was left unconscious and received bruises.     

A British Transport Police spokesman said: ‘Shortly after midnight on 14 April, the victim was travelling with his partner when a group of men began making a number of homophobic comments.

‘The comments became increasingly aggressive, at one point one of them said “gays should be strung up”. 

‘When the victim went to leave the train at Upminster station he was punched a number of times in the head in an unprovoked attack, causing him to fall to the platform.

“The victim was left unconscious for a number of minutes and sustained a number of bruises. 

‘The assault happened on board the 11.39pm service from London Liverpool Street to Shoeburyness.

‘Officers believe the men shown in this CCTV images may have information which could help them investigate. 

They added: ‘No one should ever be targeted with abuse or violent because of who they are, or who they love. 

‘We take all reports of hate crime seriously and will work hard to identify perpetrators and bring them before the courts.’