21.03.2014 Reference to “pickpockets and gypsies” results in internal investigation

Several British newspapers report on a racist announcement in a train of the London Midland Trains. The train was carrying many fans of an afternoon soccer game. The train speaker is said to have tried to entertain them at every stop with a witty remark. This didn’t stop the speaker from making a racist remark about Rroma: “Telford Central – Please be aware of pickpockets and gypsies”, he announced when the train was entering Telford station. London Midland Trains stated that they would fully investigate into the incident. The Youtube video recorded using a mobile phone shows a group of mostly laughing passengers, in response to the announcement. This raises the question of how socially acceptable racism against Rroma still is in the UK. Les Walton from the BBC relativises this interpretation: people looked at each other in disbelief and laughed out of bewilderment that the train conductor could made such remarks. A spokeswoman for Midland Trains announced: „We are deeply sorry to anyone who was offended by the announcement. We do not tolerate comments of this nature being made by anyone on a London Midland train, and a full internal investigation is being carried out“ (BBC News 2014, Bartlett 2014, The Independent 2014, Wells 2014).