A WHEELCHAIR user was left stranded on a train heading in the wrong direction for seven stops after station staff failed to help him off.

Josh Hamilton was travelling to Benfleet on the 6.37pm c2c train from Upminster with his wife and young children, aged two and three.

The 30-year-old Benfleet resident was expecting to be met by station staff with a ramp to allow him to get from the train onto the platform.

But to his horror, no staff were waiting for him when the train stopped and despite his efforts to keep the doors open and alert the driver, it left the station with him and his family still on board.

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c2c has blamed a police incident at the station for the error, adding staff had been disrupted and were unable to help Mr Hamilton at the time.

Mr Hamilton was left with no choice but to travel to the end of the line to Shoebury - 10 miles away from where he had intended to get off.

Mr Hamilton says he had tried to contact the driver using the emergency phones and explain the situation but was unsuccessful.

“It was a horrible experience to be honest,” Mr Hamilton said.

“I’m now finding it hard to trust travelling by train as I am worried something similar will happen again.”

Mr Hamilton was left in a wheelchair following an accident three years ago.

“I’m having a hard time adapting to needing to be helped like this,” he said.

“I have not wanted to travel by train as a result so this was one of the first times I had and it went wrong.”

Mr Hamilton had been travelling from Lakeside Shopping Centre and changed trains at Upminster.

A c2c spokesperson said: "We apologise for any inconvenience that was caused to Mr Hamilton while travelling with us.

“We have investigated the incident after he contacted us last week.

" We can confirm there was an incident at Benfleet station when Mr Hamilton arrived, which was being dealt with by two police officers who were already on site.

“Unfortunately, due to this disruption station staff were unable to assist Mr Hamilton disembarking from the train and we sincerely apologise for any upset and disruption this caused him.

“We are in the process of arranging a refund for Mr Hamilton.”