London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Liverpool cop FIGHTS, pepper-sprays, & handcuffs maskless commuter with alleged ‘health condition,’ triggering online wrath

Liverpool cop FIGHTS, pepper-sprays, & handcuffs maskless commuter with alleged ‘health condition,’ triggering online wrath

British Transport Police has been pelted with virtual tomatoes online after an officer was filmed trying to heavy-handedly enforce the mask-wearing order on a stubborn passenger, ending up in an intense one-on-one scuffle.

The footage has caught the eye of multiple viewers and shows a uniformed Liverpool transport police officer in the middle of a heated argument with a commuter, who’d apparently refused to wear a compulsory mask. “I do not have to wear a mask,” he insists, adding it’s “against the law to challenge me.”

Meanwhile, a man filming is heard adding, “underlying health conditions, you don’t have to wear a mask.” Face coverings are mandatory to wear on public transport in the UK, unless a passenger reports having a medical condition that prevents them from doing so.


“I’m not going to ask you anymore. Get off or we’re taking you off,” the officer tells the passenger seconds before the scuffle breaks out. “Get off me! Who the f**k do you think you’re grabbing?” the rider shouts as the scuffle continues and he tries to avoid being restrained.

The confrontation turned more violent after the officer tried to apply handcuffs and pepper-sprayed the man. During the struggle, the man’s shirt comes off.


The video garnered scores of views and shares by Friday afternoon, with tweets of support for the man who “stands tall for his freedom” and calls to “discipline the officer and overturn this madness.”

Others, however, said the man should have presented an exemption certificate to prove he had underlying health conditions.


British Transport Police (BTP) which is responsible for ensuring the safety of passengers and infrastructure, delved into the debate later in the day, confirming that they were aware of the viral footage. The agency said the officer responded to a report of a person “spitting at two passengers,” adding he was charged with “a public order offence and assaulting an emergency worker.

The explanation didn’t sit particularly well with online commenters, who bombarded the BTP page with questions and accusations. “If the officer was there because he was spitting at people why is the conversation about masks?” one asked. Further responses pointed out the officer in the video made no mention of breaching of public order.

Some agitated netizens even went as far as to liken the BTP tactics with those of the Third Reich’s notorious police. “Absolutely disgusting behaviour by your officer all because he was exempt from wearing a mask. This isn’t 1930s Germany,” one comment reads.


The drama happened at a time when lifting lockdown measures – or keeping them in place –is being debated across the UK. While masks and hygienic measures remain compulsory, businesses and public venues have begun to gradually open up. Meanwhile, some Britons voiced stiff opposition to compulsory mask-wearing.

In late-August, thousands of people gathered in London, demanding a return to normal and blasting the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic as a hoax. The march, widely covered on social media, received plenty of backlash from the printed press, for participants’ not adhering to social distancing and not wearing masks.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×