Driver's hoax thwarts vandals

Stuck in his tiny driver's cab, train driver Sheikh Kharas could hear the sounds of mayhem just a few feet away as a gang of youths went on a late-night drunken rampage.

Shouting and brandishing broken beer bottles, they went through the train using a hammer to break virtually every window they could find.

With just one door between him and the gang Mr Kharas realised if he confronted the vandals, he would inevitably get hurt and if he carried on driving to the next station, they would easily escape.

So he called the police and, instead of driving on, stopped the train and announced to passengers that there was a signal problem preventing the train from proceeding.

When he finally got into the next station 20 minutes later, the police were there waiting - and arrested all the youths.

The incident, which happened on the 11.02pm from Slough to Paddington, began after the train left Slough. Most of the other passengers were in another carriage and were unaware of what was going on.

Mr Kharas stopped once to use a trackside phone to call for help, so the youths would not hear him using his cab radio, and again to wait for police to arrive. He nosed the train into Langley station to allow police in through his cab to arrest the gang.

By the time the incident was over 14 windows were broken - at a cost of £1,000 each.

Christopher Morgan, who was travelling on the train, said: "I thought the driver showed extraordinary courage and a presence of mind."

Det Constable Sean Burke of British Transport Police said: "The driver did a real firstclass job keeping these youths inside until police were in place to arrest them."

Two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old have been released on police bail while inquiries continue.