Man pushes woman onto Tube tracks in trivial row over hat

Police are hunting a smartly dressed man who pushed a woman onto the tracks at a Tube station after an argument about his hat.

The 23-year-old victim missed the live rail and managed to pull herself back onto the platform at Leicester Square station at about 11.20pm on Friday.

Detectives said she had started talking to the stranger after a night out and a trivial row developed on the northbound Northern line platform.

British Transport Police today released CCTV images of the suspect, who fled the station after pushing the woman onto the tracks. She was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises and was later discharged.

Detective Sergeant Fin Egan, who is investigating, said: "This was a dangerous and reckless act which could have had grave consequences had a Tube train been approaching. The victim suffered a nasty cut to her side as she landed on the rails, but was able to pull herself back up onto the platform.

"The platform was busy at that time on Friday night and I am appealing for anyone who recognises the man in the images or who witnessed the incident to get in contact."

The man is described as white, aged about 40, and with a thin build. He was wearing a blue shirt, a black suit-style jacket and a black wide-brimmed hat. He wore orange or yellow tinted glasses and spoke with a foreign accent.

Anyone who knows him can contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.