A TERRIFIED rail passenger locked herself in a train's toilet after being fondled by a pervert.


The 50-year-old woman was molested after boarding the train at Accrington to travel to her home in Blackpool.


PC Adam Heslop said: "As the train left Accrington, a man sat opposite the woman and began to touch her legs.


"She told him to stop, which he did, but as the train left Preston he touched her again and made suggestive comments to her.


"She tried to move away from the man — towards the centre of the train — but he followed her and touched her inappropriately."


The woman managed to lock herself in a toilet, but the man waited for her to come out.


She forced her way past him and got off the train at Blackpool North, where she alerted transport police officers, who have now appealed for the public's help.


PC Heslop said: "This was without a doubt a frightening experience for the woman and I am now asking anyone with information about the incident to get in touch.


"Thankfully sexual assaults are rare on the rail network, but we cannot afford to be complacent and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”


It was not known why the woman was in Accrington, a British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman said yesterday, and no CCTV cameras captured the incident, which happened between 8.30pm and 9.39pm on Friday, November 28.


If you can help, call BTP on 0800 40 50 40, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting log number PSUB/B2 of December 4, 2014.


* A 45-year-old man from Wakefield has been arrested in connection with the incident and has been bailed, pending further enquiries, until Tuesday, December 23.