Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Police investigating after Piers Corbyn removes social distancing signs from London Tube

‘Boris lied to us, so we’re taking these things down ourselves,’ brother of former Labour leader says

Emily Goddard
Saturday 19 June 2021 19:30 BST
Comments
Activist Piers Corbyn takes part in an anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protest in Downing Street in June
Activist Piers Corbyn takes part in an anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protest in Downing Street in June (Reuters)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The British Transport Police has said it is investigating an incident in which Piers Corbyn removed Covid-19 public health signs from a London Underground train.

The anti-lockdown campaigner and elder brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was filmed ripping off stickers encouraging social distancing and the wearing of masks from the inside of a Victoria line Tube train.

A second man was also filmed taking down the signs.

“They didn’t keep their distance at the G7, did they?” Mr Corbyn, 74, said as he off ripped a sticker and stuffed it into a carrier bag.

“The whole thing is bulls**t and lies.”

He then tells the camera: “Boris lied to us, so we’re taking these things down ourselves.”

The footage was shared on social media, and the BTP replied to one tweet, saying: “We are aware of this incident and are currently investigating.”

A separate tweet from BTP London said: “We are aware of a video showing two men removing public health stickers from a Victoria Line Underground train.

“Officers are currently making enquiries into the incident.”

A Transport for London spokesperson said: “We are committed to keeping the transport network safe for all our customers, and signage encouraging social distancing and compliance with the requirement to wear a face covering is an important part of this work.”

Mr Corbyn has already been charged with a series of coronavirus restrictions breaches over his involvement in anti-lockdown protests.

He was also arrested in February over leaflets comparing Britain’s coronavirus vaccination programme to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in