A train conductor was headbutted when he confronted a passenger for smoking in a carriage.

The 38-year-old Southern railway worker suffered a fractured cheekbone in the attack.

Police released this CCTV image of a man they want to speak to as part of their investigation into the assault.

The attack happened when the 11.16pm train between Redhill and Horsham stopped at Crawley on Thursday, August 20.

Detective Constable Nigel Craig of British Transport Police said: “The conductor asked a man to get off the train at the next stop because he was smoking and being abusive.

“The man got off the train at Crawley around 11.40pm but headbutted and punched the member of staff on the platform, leaving him with a fractured cheekbone and cuts above his right eye.”

The suspect fled the station before police arrived.

David Hynes, head of security at Southern, said: “This was a particularly vicious and unprovoked attack on one of Southern’s conductors who was simply doing his job to ensure that our passengers could travel safely.

“If anyone thinks they know the individual concerned I would urge them to contact the police”

Anyone with information is asked to call British Transport Police free on 0800 405040 quoting incident B3 of August 28 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.