According to witnesses, the three young boys, thought to be between the ages of eight to 11, got on the train and were travelling unaccompanied. They said the children had been sitting with their feet on the seats, and were approached by the man who asked them to put them down but they refused.
A 17 year old witness said:
It is at this point, when the train was near Bolton, that the man allegedly put one of the boys into an arm lock, a photo of which, taken by one of the other children, has since gone viral.“They were being quite cocky,” he said. “He threatened them with a ‘clip around the ear’ and then went and sat back down. The children then put their feet back up and wouldn’t take them down. The guy then went over again and tried to take their feet down.”
Photos of the incident appear to show him bending over and holding the young boy's arm behind him - as other passengers looked on.
Another witness who had been sitting near the boys on the train said she repeatedly told the man to stop, and that after he let him go, the boys stayed with her until they reached their destination and were met by Northern Rail staff.
The British Transport Police confirmed it is investigating the alleged assault, while Northern Rail is also looking into the incident. The student said the incident was reported to the company who he says handled the situation poorly.
A spokesman for Northern Rail said:
“We are currently investigating this incident. Because of this, it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to comment at this time.”
Source: Manchester Evening News
