19/08/2025
Update following incident involving elderly Sikh men in Wolverhampton
British Transport Police (BTP) Superintendent Sue Peters is the local policing commander for the railways covering the Midlands.
She said: "I do not underestimate the level of concern this incident has caused to the victims and their families, the local community and beyond.
"In the interests of reassuring the community, I can confirm that BTP officers responded very quickly to make three arrests after the 999 call was made and an off-duty BTP Chief Inspector also stopped to assist.
"One 17-year-old boy and two men aged 19 and 25 were arrested in connection. They were taken into custody and later released on bail. The incident is being treated as racially-aggravated.
"Witness statements, CCTV and social media enquiries are also ongoing as part of a thorough investigation.
"A small number of officers were treated for minor injuries sustained during the course of the arrests.
"We have taken a statement from one of the victims, and are due to take the second man's statement today (19 August). This has taken a short time following the incident because of the injuries the men suffered, and the understandable shock it caused them. We arranged a suitable time to speak to them in accordance with their families' wishes, with the ongoing welfare of the victims being our number one priority. There have been some reports circulating that say the delay was caused by resourcing issues – this is not accurate.
"More widely we are engaging with our local MP, the Sikh Community, as well as the Sikh Police Association, to listen to their concerns.
"We will not tolerate this sort of behaviour on the railway network and will be continuing our swift investigation. Anyone who witnessed what happened and who hasn’t already spoken to police should text 61016 quoting ref 353 of 15th August."
