UPDATE: Southern defends train conductor accused of shouting at passengers

According to Southern, no aggressive language was used by the conductor, who was dealing with a woman ‘trying to evade payment of her fare’.

A Southern spokesman added: “Her male companion became very aggressive when our conductor asked her to buy a ticket.

“The conductor did not use aggressive language at any point.”

The Observer had previously been told by a witness that a couple on board a train from Chichester to Portsmouth Harbour at around 10pm were ‘screamed’ at by a conductor and told to ‘shut up’.