Police are treating as a hate crime an incident in which a man threatened to kill a Jewish passenger during a “shocking” antisemitic tirade on a London Tube train.

The passenger, who did not wish to be named, said he feared for his life when the man shouted at him: “I am the next Hitler and I am going to kill you," gesturing with his hand to simulate a gun, and making a “bang” sound to indicate a bullet being fired.

The incident happened as the passenger, a solicitor who works in the City of London, was travelling home to Golders Green on the Northern Line

He told the JC that the man had got on the train at Old Street station and sat down opposite him.

The passenger said:  “The moment he sat down he stretched his legs out to me and started nudging me.

“He then removed his legs and starting swearing at me extremely loudly.

“After about a minute of non-stop abuse he got up and went towards the doors and came back to show me a picture on his phone which said something about ‘Jews killing babies.’”

The passenger, who was wearing a kippah, said: “It was clear to me and everybody in the carriage that he was targeting me because I am a Jew.

“I was extremely shocked at being spoken to like that and when he approached me with his phone I was extremely scared and expecting him to punch me at any moment.”

The man got off the train at Angel station, the next stop, at which point the passenger left the carriage at the front of the train where he had been sitting and went to the driver's cabin to report the incident.

He said: “The driver told me that she heard the shouting and had alerted the police, who were waiting at the platform when we got to Euston, two stops further along the line.

“The police took a statement from me and another passenger on the train.”

He added: “I have travelled into work every day for the last three years and never experienced any antisemitism. I was extremely shocked that I was being spoken to like. I dread to think what would have happened had he had a knife.” 

A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: “Officers are investigating after a 31-year-old man was verbally abused by a fellow passenger. The incident happened on board a Northern Line Tube service from Old Street to Euston on Wednesday, 16 August.  Anyone who was travelling on board the service and witnessed the incident is asked to call BTP on 0800 40 50 40.”

A spokesperson for CST said: “This is a disgusting and shocking case of antisemitic abuse that was entirely unprovoked.

“We hope British Transport Police are able to use CCTV to identify who the perpetrator was.”