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Londoners were left downhearted after a 'sign of the times' poster at Marble Arch station urged commuters not to accept help from strangers.

The sign read: "Only ask staff for assistance. Do not take help from a stranger as they may be trying to distract you."

An image of the sign drew dozens of comments from people after a woman, known as LauraVi, shared it on reddit.

It was dubbed "seriously depressing", with one person commenting: "A literal sign of the times."

Some said the sign intended to warn tourists of thieves in the nearby area.

While others linked it to the rise of knife and gun crime in the capital.

One person named Paws-and-Claws said: "It is a warning against pick-pocketing. They will often work in pairs.

"One will ostensibly be nice and offer to help you, when really they are distracting you while another will pick your pockets/bag from behind."

Nevertheless, many kind Londoners said they would not stop offering help to those in need on their commute.

And tourists joined the conversation to share heartwarming stories of being helped while travelling around the capital.

One person called snowfreckles said: "I always help people who are struggling with their bags, even if I have my bike with me.

"I'll never stop because it will always show the people I helped and those who watched that there are still kind people in the world."

A TfL spokesperson said: “This message was produced by station staff trying to make sure customers have safe journeys. Although the thought behind it was right, it was clearly not very well executed and has now been taken down."