UNION supporters say crime has more than doubled at Blackburn railway station over the past 12 months.

Blackburn and District Trades Union Council (BTUC) has highlighted its concerns ahead of industrial action for the 47th Saturday.

Official crime maps show there were 52 offences reported at Blackburn for 2018, compared to 18 for 2017.

This is 8.97 offences per 100,000 passengers for the last 12 months, compared to 3.1 for t2017.

John Murphy, BTUC president, said while the number of occasions guards were 'safety critical' were "thankfully small", they were significant when they occurred

He added: "Guards, however, contribute as well to the overall quality and accessibility of services – particularly in respect of the elderly and people with disabilities.

"While guards can't be expected to police trains, there's a personal safety argument for having an 'official presence' at a time when there's concerns about growing crime and anti-social behaviour on trains."

David Brown. operator Northern's managing director said the Department of Transport and Transport for the North had confirmed a second person, in addtion to a drive, would be retained on their services.

He added: " This second person will provide customer service, including meeting customer needs on accessibility, safety, security, ticketing and information."

Rail union RMT has questioned whether the second person will be fully security trained or just effectively revenue protection officers.

General secretary Mick Cash thanked the public for their ongoing support, ahead of the new strike.

BTUC members will stage a protest at the station from 10am on Saturday.