A disabled man was trapped on a train after staff helping another disabled passenger failed to see him.

The man, who does not wish to be named, booked a train journey to go to the popular Clacton Airshow. The day had been organised as a birthday treat.

As the man is permanently in an electric wheelchair he called Greater Anglia to book ramp assistance from his home to Clacton, via Colchester.

He said: “At my station the man was very helpful. He called Colchester and said there’s a disabled man in carriage three.

“I thought this is going to be a lovely day but no. On arriving at Colchester North Station the doors opened and everyone got off, leaving me sitting there.”

He was on the 9.25am train for about four minutes, waiting for someone to assist him off and transfer him.

He said: “I was shouting out the doors but no-one came and then to my horror the doors closed with me still on the train.

“I didn’t know where I was heading or how long I would be on there, then over the loudspeaker I heard a voice say Colchester Town was the last stop.”

Another passenger asked the man if he needed help.

He said: “The platform was packed with people waiting to go to Clacton, I was in a panic and I was scared.”

He was told to stay on the train so he could get back to the right station.

He said: “I lost about an hour when I got back to Colchester.

“I arrived at Clacton at about 11.10am. I thought I just can’t take this anymore so I headed back home, my whole day was ruined.

“I don’t go out of my home very often because of these sorts of obstacles.”

He called Greater Anglia which said it would offer a refund.

He said: “I told them it’s not really good enough, something needs to be done.We are humans and have feelings, the same as able-bodied people.”

A Greater Anglia spokesman said staff did not realise there was more than one disabled passenger on the train.

He added: “We apologise to the gentleman for the incident at Colchester station. A member of staff assisted one passenger in a wheelchair, but was unaware that there were two passengers requiring assistance.

“A local manager spoke with, and apologised to, the gentleman at Colchester Town station and helped him complete his journey.”