Belly Mujinga: 'No evidence' rail worker was spat on

Belly Mujinga, 47, died with Covid-19 on 5 April

No evidence has been found that a railway worker who died with coronavirus had been spat on, a report by her employer has found.

Belly Mujinga, 47, died on 5 April, a few weeks after she was approached by a man at London's Victoria Station.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said no complaints about spitting were made at the time, while police also "concluded that no spitting incident took place".

Prosecutors previously said no charges would be brought over the death.

Ms Mujinga had been working as a sales clerk at Victoria Station

GTR investigators studied CCTV footage and interviewed 10 members of staff who had been present at the time or who were based at Victoria Station.

They said the footage had shown a man approaching Mrs Mujinga and two colleagues on the station concourse on 21 March.

While GTR investigators found there to be "conflicting accounts of the subsequent events", British Transport Police (BTP) "concluded the tragic death of Belly was not a consequence of this incident", the report said.

GTR added the man involved was found not to have had Covid-19, while neither Mrs Mujinga nor others present made any complaint about spitting at the time, with allegations made only after her death.

Mrs Mujinga's husband Lusamba previously called the decision not to bring charges over her death "unjust and unfair"

The rail firm said Ms Mujinga had also not disclosed any health conditions to managers at the station that could restrict her work on the concourse other than "blood pressure", and she had began self-isolating on 26 March, a day after reporting that her GP had advised her to do so.

With regards to personal protective equipment (PPE), GTR said its policy was "dictated by UK government, the Health and Safety Executive, and the Office of Rail and Road", and at the time there was no guidance that face coverings needed to be worn.

The company's chief executive Patrick Verwer said: "Belly's story continues to move us all, and we are heartbroken by her loss."

He added that her death had been "incredibly difficult" for her family and "we learned that we should have supported them better".