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Asian man stopped by police at train station because of headphone lead sticking out of his backpack

Jaz Oberoi said he understood the authorities were just doing their job, but felt being taken off the train a second time was 'humiliating'

Alexander Sehmer
Sunday 05 July 2015 21:44 BST
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On his Facebook page Mr Oberoi said had 'no problem' with being stopped by police but that being stopped a second time was 'overkill'
On his Facebook page Mr Oberoi said had 'no problem' with being stopped by police but that being stopped a second time was 'overkill'

A rail traveller was stopped twice by police at a train station following concerns over wires hanging from his backpack, which later turned out to be headphone lead.

Jaz Oberoi, from Hanwell in west London, was travelling from Bristol to London when he was stopped first by British Transport Police (BTP), and then again by armed members of Thames Valley Police.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Mr Oberoi commented "I had absolutely no problem with the first instance of them removing me from the train", but said that the second occasion was "overkill".

"To be marched off twice was a bit much - I wasn't rude, I was very accommodating. I felt it was completely unnecessary to humiliate me twice," according to the BBC.

During the incident, which occurred on the 3 July, Mr Oberoi's train was held for 30 minutes.

According to The Reading Chronicle police were investigating reports of "a group of men acting suspiciously".

The paper reported a BTP spokesman as saying: "Officers from BTP and colleagues from Thames Valley Police met a London Paddington bound train at Reading station and carried a thorough search of the train. No one matching the description in the report was found."

Thames Valley Police said the matter had now been "concluded".

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