Rail passengers have been evacuated from a train after a man was spotted carrying a gun in a bag.

Passengers were evacuated from the London Waterloo to Alton, Hampshire, service when it arrived at Woking station in Surrey.

Simon Bangs, who was on the train at the time, described the situation as “absolute pandemonium”.

British Transport Police (BTP) said the firearm was found to be an air rifle. A 53-year-old man has been arrested.

It is not known what the man has been arrested on suspicion of.

An eye witness said:

“Staff burst onto the train. They demanded everyone started moving down the carriage.

We were all told to get off the train as quickly as we possibly could and run down the platform.

Everyone was running out of the station. It was absolute pandemonium.”

He added the station was more crowded than usual due the strike by South Western Railway staff in a dispute over the role of guards.

Surrey Police said there was no ongoing risk to the public.

 

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