South Western Railway staff begin body-worn cameras trial

Guards based at the Fratton depot have begun a trial of body-worn cameras

Rail staff have been issued with body-worn video cameras in a bid to cut anti-social behaviour on trains and at stations.

South Western Railway (SWR) said guards working out of its Fratton depot in Portsmouth would trial the cameras.

It said it hoped they would be a "deterrent to assaults, threats and abuse" experienced by staff and provide better quality evidence.

If successful, the cameras would be rolled out across the SWR network.

The cameras are being trialled on guards on routes including Portsmouth to Southampton Central, Poole to Woking, Woking to Waterloo and Guildford to Surbiton.

The trial will determine the impact of body-worn cameras by comparing the quality of footage to existing CCTV available, as well as whether the footage provides better quality evidence for prosecutions and cases in court.

Alan Penlington, SWR's customer experience director, said: "While our trains and stations are already equipped with CCTV, we are always looking for ways to help our customers travel with confidence and ensure that colleagues feel safer at work."

Police have worn cameras for some time, while the NHS announced earlier this year that ambulance workers in England would be given body-worn cameras, after assaults against them went up by almost a third in five years.

The Northern and Southeastern rail companies already issue staff with cameras.