Man 'run over by hundreds of Tube trains after staff mistook body for fox'

Victim 'laid in tunnel for 14 hours before Tube trains halted'

A man was reportedly run over hundreds of times by London Underground trains after staff mistook his body for a fox.

The victim’s remains are believed to have laid on the tracks for 14 hours as Piccadilly line services continued as normal following his death.

A train was automatically halted in a tunnel just before 11.30am on 28 December last year after a rear trip switch was activated.

A manager was dispatched 160 metres into a tunnel between Holborn and Russell Square stations to investigate to cause of the stoppage.

He believed he saw the carcass of a fox on the tracks and indicated trains could resume, The Sun reported.

“He advised the line controllers at Earls Court that the body he could see the carcass of was that of a fox or numerous foxes, possibly a family of foxes,” a source told the newspaper. “It is important to note, no distinguishing fox parts were found, like the fox’s tail.”

Trains continued to run as normal until the early hours of the next morning, when the remains were reported to be human.

Up to 24 trains an hour pass between the two stations on the Piccadilly line.

The man was later confirmed to be a 47-year-old from Maidstone, Kent. He has not been named.

CCTV footage was inspected and found to show the man entering the tunnel at Holborn.

A British Transport Police spokesman said “We were called at 1.42am on 29 December to reports that a body had been found in the tunnel between Holborn and Russell Square stations.

“A 47-year-old man from Maidstone was declared dead at the scene. The death was not believed to be suspicious and so a file was prepared for the coroner.”

A Transport for London spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who was found in the tunnel between Holborn and Russell Square stations on 29 December 2017.

"We are unable to comment further at this time pending the conclusion of the coroner’s inquest.”