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​Body Found In Tube Tunnel Was Reportedly Run Over By '300 Trains'

​Body Found In Tube Tunnel Was Reportedly Run Over By '300 Trains'

The Maidstone man's body had reportedly been left on the tracks for 14 hours, with the Piccadilly Line continuing to run

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

The body of a 47-year-old man was run over by at least 300 London Underground trains after staff mistook him for a fox, the Sun reports.

The Maidstone man's body had reportedly been left on the tracks for 14 hours, with the Piccadilly Line continuing to run.

A train was automatically stopped just before 11.30am on 28 December, thanks to a rear trip switch being activated 160m into the tunnel leaving Holborn station, in the direction of Russell Square.

A manager then went to go and investigate why the switch had gone off, but was under the impression that it had just been the carcass of a dead fox.

Satisfied by that assumption, the service simply resumed as normal, with trains up and running again.

A source told the newspaper: "He [the manager] advised the line controllers at Earls Court that the body he could see the carcass of was that of a fox or numerous foxes, possibly a family of foxes.

"It is important to note, no distinguishing fox parts were found, like the fox's tail."

PA

The service then continued to run until 1.42am the next day, when police were called to the scene and the remains were eventually declared as human.

Following this discovery, CCTV footage was checked - revealing that a person was seen entering the tunnel at Holborn.

A source told the Sun that up to 26 trains would have passed through the line per hour during the 14 hours that the man's body was lying on the tracks.

British Transport Police said: "We were called at 1.42am on December 29 to reports that a body had been found in the tunnel between Holborn and Russell Square stations.

"A 47-year-old man from Maidstone was declared dead at the scene.

"The death was not believed to be suspicious and so a file was prepared for the coroner."

PA

A Transport for London spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who was found in the tunnel between Holborn and Russell Square stations on 29 December 2017.

"We are unable to comment further at this time pending the conclusion of the coroner's inquest."

According to the Sun, figures from 2010 showed that the Piccadilly line had the third highest number of suicide attempts - with 92 recorded over a 10-year period.

A report from last year also revealed that between 2016 and 2017 there were a total of 15 suicides on the London Underground overall.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, UK, London