Tommy Robinson has tonight been arrested at Luton Airport on suspicion of grievous bodily harm in connection with an assault that left a man with serious injuries at St Pancras station last week.
The 42-year-old far-right activist was taken into custody by British Transport Police officers after a plane he boarded in Faro, Portugal, landed in Britain at approximately 6.30pm on Sunday evening.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had fled the country to Tenerife in the early hours of 29 July following the alleged assault at the London railway station on 28 July.
Police Statement Confirms Arrest
A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “Officers from BTP have tonight (4 August) arrested a 42-year-old man from Bedfordshire in connection to an assault at St Pancras station on 28 July.
“The arrest took place at Luton Airport shortly after 6.30pm, following a notification that the man had boarded an incoming flight from Faro.
“The man had been wanted for questioning after leaving the country to Tenerife in the early hours of 29 August following the incident at St Pancras.
“He was arrested on suspicion of GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm) and will now be taken to custody for questioning.”
St Pancras Station Incident
The arrest relates to an incident on Monday 28 July at approximately 8.40pm, when police were called to St Pancras International station following reports of an assault. Video footage that emerged on social media showed Robinson pacing back and forth near a man lying motionless on the station concourse.
In the footage, Robinson could be heard saying “You saw him, he came at me” as concerned onlookers attempted to assist the injured man. One witness could be heard saying: “Can we get someone here, quick?”
The victim was treated at the scene by paramedics before being transported to a major trauma centre with what police described as “serious injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening.” A London Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed they had sent an ambulance crew to treat the man before taking him to hospital.
Witness Account of Assault
An eyewitness who was present at the station claimed they saw Robinson arguing with an older gentleman before the assault occurred. The witness, who was on their way to catch a train, said they “heard a loud commotion and arguing” at the top of the Platform B escalator.
According to the witness account, Robinson allegedly shouted at the man to “come at me then” before he “punched the man so hard he was knocked out.” The witness described seeing the victim lying unconscious and bleeding on the floor of a walkway towards the station’s Thameslink hub.
British Transport Police confirmed that CCTV footage from the station had been secured and passed to detectives for review as part of the investigation.
Flight from UK
Following the incident, Robinson left the UK on a flight to Tenerife in the early hours of Tuesday 29 July. The British Transport Police had been making arrest enquiries throughout the week, with detectives working to bring the suspect into custody for questioning.
Robinson had been active on his X (formerly Twitter) account following his departure from the UK, reposting messages that suggested he had acted in self-defence. One reposted message stated: “If you cross a line and attack someone physically, or threaten to attack them physically…”
In video footage posted on his social media at 5.09pm on Monday 28 July, hours before the alleged assault, Robinson appeared with a cut on his forehead, which he claimed was from a “fight with a door.”
Background and Legal History
Robinson, who founded the far-right English Defence League in 2009, has an extensive criminal record including convictions for violence, financial and immigration frauds, cocaine possession with intent to supply, and public order offences.
He was released from prison on 27 May 2025 after serving 14 months of an 18-month sentence for contempt of court. The sentence was reduced by four months after what a judge called a “change in attitude.” He had been jailed for repeating false allegations about a Syrian refugee schoolboy despite a court injunction prohibiting him from doing so.
Robinson’s previous convictions include:
- April 2005: Assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault with intent to resist arrest against an off-duty police officer, for which he received a 12-month sentence
- July 2011: Using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour
- September 2011: Assault for headbutting a man in Blackburn
- 2013: Using false travel documents to enter the United States
- 2014: Mortgage fraud
Political Activities
On 3 August 2025, just one day before his arrest, Robinson had announced via a video on his X account that he had joined Advance UK, a political party set up by Ben Habib, who had previously been a co-deputy leader of Reform UK.
Robinson has remained a polarising figure in UK politics, known for his anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, and repeated legal confrontations tied to his political activism. He has been blamed for helping prompt the country’s worst riots in years in 2024, which he denies.
International Support
Robinson’s case has attracted international attention, particularly from US tech billionaire Elon Musk, who publicly called for his release during his previous imprisonment. In January 2025, Musk posted “Free Tommy Robinson!” on X, describing him as a “political prisoner” and questioning why he was in “solitary confinement prison for telling the truth.”
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
In addition to the current arrest for grievous bodily harm, Robinson faces two other separate court cases. He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on an unspecified date accused of harassing two Daily Mail journalists, with charges of two counts of harassment causing fear of violence between 5 and 7 August 2024.
He also faces a separate trial in October 2026 over an accusation that he failed to provide the PIN for his mobile phone when stopped by Kent Police in Folkestone in July 2024.
Anyone with information about the St Pancras incident is urged to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016, quoting reference 655 of 28 July.
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