ROMANIAN BEGGARS THREATENED TO SLIT TUBE DRIVER'S THROAT

ROMANIAN beggars threatened to slit a Tube driver's throat after he used the train's intercom to warn passengers not to give them money.

As the train pulled into the Northern Line platform at King's Cross, three men who had been demanding money off passengers while playing an accordion, leapt off the train, ran along the platform and banged on the driver's cab window.

Then one pulled a knife from under his coat and drew it across his own throat, pointing at the driver as he did so.

The shocked driver, who is experienced and in his mid-thirties, drove the train to Golders Green station and was questioned by Underground officials.

He was interviewed by police yesterday and then stood down for the day, and will not be back at work until tomorrow.

A colleague of the driver said: "These people aren't kidding and if something isn't done soon then someone's going to get killed."

"This gang are well known and they work the Tubes between King's Cross and Old Street in the City at weekends.

"They are always going around

threatening passengers and tourists but nobody does anything about it.

"Drivers tell the management, but the management say they don't have the resources to catch them.

"No one believes them, but there's not much the drivers can do about it.

"We're supposed to broadcast warnings to people not to give anything if these gangs get on the train but, if they're armed and threatening to knife up the drivers, then it's moving into a new league.

"You are very vulnerable in the cab because there's only a little plastic strip on the inside door to keep passengers from opening it and getting in while you're going along. That can easily be ripped out and then there's nothing to stop someone getting into the cab with a knife."

British Transport Police today revealed the three were all known to officers and had previously been thrown off several Tube trains.

An inquiry has been launched

into the knife incident, the latest in a series of clashes between eastern European beggars and commuters.

A spokesman for British Transport Police said: "We have launched an immediate investigation. The beggars had banged on the driver's window and threatened him and are known to officers.

"Intimidating passengers is a regular occurrence but not with a knife.

This is the first incident I have heard of where they produced a knife. It is believed the people concerned are regulars on the Northern Line."

The trouble flared minutes after the Romanians got on the train on Sunday afternoon, moving between carriages and intimidating passengers.

A London Transport spokesman said: "The police and Tube officials were warning drivers by radio of three male 'buskers' who were carrying musical instruments and walking the Underground stations for several hours.

"They had been ejected from a number of trains before and when the driver made an announcement to passengers not to pay the men, one threatened him."

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