A man who brandished a machete above his head at a train station has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

The 59-year-old, from Croydon, was tasered and arrested by police following the incident at Tulse Hill station in south London just after 6.30pm on Monday.

He was sectioned "following an assessment with specialist medical staff", British Transport Police said.

Assistant Chief Constable Robin Smith said it would have been a "particularly frightening incident for those passengers at the station or on board trains".

There were no reported injuries and the incident is not believed to be terror-related.


A video on social media showed a man wielding a machete above his head before he was tasered and fell to the ground.

Photos also showed several police officers surrounding a man who was lying on the floor.

Image: The suspect pictured after he was tasered. Pic: Xara Pandora

Conor Fortune said he was on a Thameslink train travelling away from central London at Tulse Hill station when he heard a male voice "shouting quite loudly".

The train conductor then told passengers not to get off because there was "a dangerous man on the platform", he said.

Mr Fortune, from southwest London, said: "After several minutes of being sat on the platform, the driver announced that we were being held and she shut the doors as a precaution, and advised nobody to get off as there was 'a dangerous man on the platform'.

"She informed us the police had been alerted and were responding."

:: Any witnesses should contact BTP by sending a text to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 478 of 14/01/2019.