Fare dodger rips off ticket inspector’s ear in Barcelona train attack

A MANHUNT is under way for a fare dodger who bit off a ticket inspector’s ear lobe on a train near Barcelona. The trade union CCOO released information about the incident, which occurred on Saturday (August 22) on Monday, saying it was another example of violence experienced by train staff on a daily basis.

The inspector was checking tickets on a train while it was stopped at Mollet Santa Rosa Station, when a male passenger grabbed him and bit so hard on his ear that a section of his lobe was ripped off.

The inspector was rushed to hospital, with a colleague having saved the piece of ear so it could be reattached. The biter escaped from the train, and police are still working to track him down.

The trade union said the horror incident was an example of violence against train staff and passengers, the regularity of which was “unsustainable – excessive in relation to other modes of transport.”

It called for investment in infrastructure to tackle the issue.