RAIL passenger has hit out at a lack of security on South West Trains after being sprayed with a fire extinguisher by "drunken yobs" who also threatened to kill a guard on one of its services.
The man, who did not wish to be named, contacted The Herald after an incident on a train departing from Farnham station at 10 pm last Friday.
He said: "I could see a group of four guys at the station, swigging bottles of beer and looking as if they were out for trouble.
"They got on the train at the other end from me and made their way down the carriages, brandishing a fire extinguisher and making a complete mess of the whole train.
"They came towards me and I ignored them, but they targeted me as well, spraying foam all over my clothes and hair.
"This really ruined my night out and I think its appalling that 'Travel Safe' train officers were not on duty to stop this. I'm all for people having a bit of a drink and a laugh, but those yobs were an absolute disgrace.
He added that the men (in their late twenties), threatened to kill the train guard as they got off at Aldershot, after he shouted at them for their mindless vandalism.
The incident came in the wake of a major security initiative on the Alton Line (Operation Take Back)..
There are five Travel Safe officers working in the Guildford and Waverley area and according to South West Trains, anti-social incidents are down since their introduction.
A spokesman for South West Trains apologised that no Travel Safe officers were present during the incident.
However, she said, limited resources meant they were unable to cover all lines at times of the day.