TICKET offices on London’s Tube must be reopened, rail unions said yesterday after new research found staff had been exposed to far more abuse since they closed.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) survey uncovered more than 2,000 abusive incidents in the past six months — including workers being verbally abused, spat at and even bitten.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes fumed: “Our survey has uncovered some terrible stories which are indicative of a system in complete crisis.