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An artist has criticised transport police after he was arrested for using a plug on a London Overground train to charge his iPhone.

Robin Lee was handcuffed and put into a police van after using the power socket on a train from Hackney Wick to Camden Road on Friday, July 10.

The 45-year-old, who lives in Islington, said the whole episode was "ridiculous" and was first confronted on the train by a police community support officer who said he was taking the electricity illegally.

He was arrested on the platform after getting off at Camden Road.

"She said I'm abstracting electricity," he said.

"She kept saying it's a crime.

"We were just coming into the station, and there happened to be about four police officers on the platform.

"She called to them and said 'This guy's been abstracting electricity, he needs to be arrested'."

Mr Lee says he tried to push past the officers but was handcuffed on the platform, taken down the stairs and put into a van.

He was taken to the British Transport Police (BTP) base in Caledonian Road, Islington, before he was de-arrested.

"I was just incredulous," he said.

"It was an overzealous community support officer.

"They should never have arrested me, they knew it was ridiculous. The whole thing was just ridiculous."

A BTP spokesman said: “We were called to Camden Road London Overground station on Friday, July 10, to a report of a man becoming aggressive when challenged by a PCSO about his use of a plug socket on board an Overground train.

“Shortly after 3.30pm, a 45-year-old man from Islington was arrested on suspicion of abstracting electricity, for which he was de-arrested shortly after.

“He was further arrested for unacceptable behaviour and has been reported for this offence.”

The spokesman added they will review the behaviour before passing the details to the Crown Prosecution Service who will decide whether any charges should be brought against Mr Lee.

A Transport for London spokeswoman said on board London Overground trains, signs near the plug points state they are for "cleaners use only and not for public use".