A woman has appeared in court charged with walking the wrong way on an escalator.

Michaela Copeland, 32, allegedly made the unauthorised move at North Greenwich Underground Station, south-east London and could be fined up to £1,000 if convicted of the charge, which is an offence under Transport for London (TfL) byelaws.

She is accused of using or attempting to use an escalator “other than by standing or walking on it in the direction intended for travel”.

Copeland, who was pictured outside court using crutches to walk, pleaded not guilty to the offence. A trial, estimated to take three hours, will now take place in April 2026.

TfL has several byelaws that apply to passengers on its trains, tracks or stations – including London Underground.

These include a ban on smoking or carrying lit items, unacceptable behaviour such as spitting on the railway and unauthorised gambling. The escalator offence states: “No person shall use any escalator on the railway except by standing or walking on it in the direction intended for travel.

“Persons shall keep to the right of escalators when not walking up, down or along them.”