Plans to scrap the British Transport Police (BTP) sexual offences unit have been put on hold.
Following the success of two recent campaigns - Project Guardian and Report it to Stop it - there has been an increase in the number of victims who have come forward to report offences related to unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network.
One incident in the summer of 2014 saw a man arrested after a woman complained of a picture being taken up her skirt at Gunnersbury station.
BTP has said following a review and feedback its commitment to the victims of sexual offences remains 'unabated'.
BTP assistant chief constable Mark Newton, said: “We are pleased that victims have shown courage, and trusted in us, by reporting these types of offences.
“We now want to build on that trust and ensure that we not only deal effectively with each and every case that is reported to us, but that we also look at ways to prevent the offences from happening in the first place.
“Through our crime review we are committed to ensuring that more of our officers have the skills to support vulnerable victims and are given specialist training to target and prosecute offenders.
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“However, over the past week, we have listened carefully to the views being expressed about the decision to absorb officers from the Sexual Offences Unit in London into our wider crime investigation plans and acknowledge that this may unintentionally have caused concern.
“This concern undermines everything we are trying to achieve. That is why we have decided to halt any proposed changes to the Sexual Offences Unit whilst we carry out an urgent review of the implications of this decision, to see whether it remains valid in light of the feedback we have received.”
