SIR: I would like to address the foul mannered yobs, who were travelling between London Euston and Wigan, on Virgin Rail, on Sunday, May 3, around 5.15pm departure, presumably having watched the Rugby League match.

My retired father and three friends, two of whom are female, were also travelling on this journey, having paid for an upgrade to first class, to enjoy a reasonably relaxed and peaceful journey.

Not only had their seats been taken, (the reserved tickets torn up and left on the floor), but they were subjected to the most disgraceful display of swearing, crude gestures, personal insults and intolerable behaviour, for the whole journey, by 30 to 40 Wigan Rugby fans who also occupied first class, unashamedly boasting of their lack of valid tickets to do so.

My father and his friends endured being sprayed with cans of beer, and even a fire extinguisher. These louts jumped on chairs and tables, shouted dreadful names at my father when he asked them to mind their language, and helped themselves to snacks and drinks which my father's party had on the table. He challenged these yobs on several occasions, only to receive the usual expletives to be expected of such low life.

Shame on you, the 30 or 40 so-called rugby fans, shame on your families and those who brought you up to behave in such a manner. You should be banned from travelling on public transport, and from attending sports events. Whoever you are, you are a disgrace to your home town.

Disgusted

Scotland

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.