Does a photo show TfL officer preventing poppy seller at Ruislip station?

A photo is circulating social media that claims to show a Transport for London (TfL) officer telling an elderly Royal British Legion poppy seller that they could not sell poppies outside Ruislip Underground train station.

The photo has spread virally across Facebook and has been shared by far-right group Britain First (where as expected the commentators spewed an awful array of racist and bigoted comments.)

Big up for this outstanding TFL Conpliance Officer for telling the old lady selling poppies at Ruislip Station to move on. This jobsworth piece of crap should hang his ugly head in share. Share the hell out this and make him famous.

‘Transport for London’ Compliance Officer telling an old lady selling poppies at Ruislip Station to move on! Stupid jobsworth idiot!

Despite the claims in the messages, no sources or evidence has been offered by anyone uploading or sharing the photo that demonstrate that the TfL officer pictured was indeed prohibiting a poppy seller from selling RBL poppies outside Ruislip station.

Each year we face these rumours – often unverified or outright false – that assert some person, group or business is preventing poppy sellers from distributing their wares, while offering no evidence to back up their claims. (This year has already seen a false claim about Wetherspoon and last year was Poundland, again.)

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Transport for London has long supported the poppy appeal and supported RBL sellers using stations to sell them, and demonstrate as much with a variety of social media posts. We contacted TfL for comment and they have denied that anyone was prevented from selling poppies at the station in question. Their response –

TfL is very proud of our relationship with the armed forces and has a longstanding relationship with the British Legion who we support on London Poppy Day each year. No one has been prevented from selling poppies at Ruislip station.

Given this denial and that those sharing the photo have provided no evidence to support their claims, we currently rate this unverified rumour doubtful