IMPRISONED commuters were forced to climb over walls and gates after finding themselves locked inside Paddock Wood railway station on Tuesday evening.

After a passenger was taken ill on board an earlier train, passengers on Ashford-bound services were forced to continue on to Marden and catch a London-bound service back one stop to Paddock Wood.

An estimated 70 people did so but, on arriving at the station at 7.30pm, they found themselves unable to leave the platform on the town side as the exit gate and ticket office were both locked.

Yalding resident Emily Hall told the Courier: "It was pretty dangerous as the entire Commercial Road side of the platform was crammed with people standing very close to the rails and they couldn't get out.

"There was a mutiny and people were climbing over walls and the gate to get out on that side. Others had to go back over the footbridge and walk the quarter-mile round."

Southeastern spokesman Jon Hay-Campbell said: "Our number-one priority is the safety of passengers and staff. Last night, a passenger was taken ill, causing some disruption to services at Paddock Wood.

"We are currently investigating the full details of what happened, as we always do following any incident."