A Redbridge man has been jailed after assaulting and threatening to shoot tube staff after he tried to force them to let his friend through the ticket barriers without paying.

In September of 2019, Fudhail Kelal told a member of staff at Piccadilly Circus Underground station to open the barriers for his friend.

When the staff member explained that they would need a ticket, the 21-year-old forced open the gate and pushed through.

He became verbally and physically aggressive towards the member of staff, pushing him, attempting to take his watch and threatening to shoot him in the head.

Kelali then became aggressive towards another member of staff, knocking a radio out of his possession and punching him in the back, causing him to fall through the gate.

A third member of staff attempted to get Kelali to leave, but he threatened to shoot her whilst seemingly reaching for something in his clothing. He also attempted to take an iPad she had in her possession but was unable to get hold of it.

Investigating officer PC Steve Russell said: “This was a shocking display of threatening and violent behaviour towards front line staff.

“Kelali’s sentence demonstrates how seriously we take any abuse towards members of railway staff, it will not be tolerated on the network under any circumstances.

Kelali, of Snakes Lane East, was found guilty of two counts of common assault and a public order offence against staff.

He was sentenced to 22 weeks imprisonment and ordered to pay a victim service charge of £128 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, May 26.

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s Director Compliance, Policing Operations and Security, said: “This was a shocking assault, and such violent and aggressive behaviour has no place on our network or in wider society.

“All of our staff have the right to go about their work without fear and intimidation. Kelali has shown nothing but contempt for those that keep the city moving every day, and we hope his sentence acts as a warning to others that if they abuse frontline staff they will face the full force of the law.”