TfL Apologises After Worker Filmed Using Megaphone Siren to Wake Homeless Woman

Transport for London has issued an apology after one of its employees was filmed blasting a loud megaphone siren at a homeless woman who was sleeping inside Leytonstone Underground station.

Footage shows the staff member standing over the woman and sounding a high-pitched alarm close to her head for several seconds at around 7:30am on Wednesday 26 November. According to people sleeping rough in the area, this was not an isolated incident, and similar behaviour has occurred at the station in recent weeks.

Homelessness charities condemned the actions as “degrading” and “inhumane”.

Witnesses shocked by staff behaviour

Local rough sleeper Rebecca Thrower, 49, said she witnessed the incident and was taken aback by how “aggressive” the approach was, especially given the cold weather.

“It really shocked me,” she said. “He held the megaphone right up close. There are proper ways to treat people. Just because someone is homeless doesn’t mean they’re not a human being.”

TfL: incident “appalling”

TfL described the footage as “appalling” and confirmed that action is being taken against the employee involved, though it declined to specify what form this action will take.

Nick Dent, TfL’s director of customer operations, said:

“This behaviour is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the conduct we expect from our staff. We have taken appropriate action and are working with StreetLink to explore how we can better support rough sleepers in the area.”

Charities call for answers

Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, criticised the incident as “deeply upsetting”.

“It’s degrading and dehumanising. Imagine trying to sleep on a cold floor and being woken by a blaring siren. It’s cruel,” he said.He added that such experiences are “far from unique” for people sleeping rough and confirmed Crisis will be contacting TfL for urgent clarification on its policies.

TfL’s own safeguarding policies state that rough sleepers on the network are “highly vulnerable” and should be supported, with staff expected to work alongside charities and outreach teams.

Rising homelessness in London

Latest figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network show 4,711 people were recorded sleeping rough in London between July and September, only slightly below last year’s record high.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who chairs TfL, has previously committed to ending rough sleeping in the capital by 2030. A spokesperson for the Mayor referred enquiries back to TfL’s statement.

This incident follows previous controversies involving railway staff and homeless individuals — including a 2019 case in which three Southern Rail employees were suspended after pouring dirty water over a rough sleeper outside Sutton station.