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Eurostar has updated its policy on how much alcohol passengers can carry, following a backlash on social media.

The train operator's rules, introduced last year, limited people to taking one bottle of wine or four cans of beer and no spirits on board.

It has now changed its guidance to "make it clear" that customers can take unopened alcohol to their destination.

The move has been welcomed by passengers who had complained about the restrictions on Twitter.

The firm still reserves the right to confiscate excessive amounts of alcohol for consumption on the journey.

A Eurostar spokesman said news coverage over the last few days had made it clear the previous wording on the website had not been a true reflection of its policy.

It has now changed its guidance to: "We appreciate that passengers often want to bring a few bottles back from their trip and we are happy for customers to bring unopened bottles of alcohol to take on to their destination."

"Any passengers with large quantities can use EuroDespatch, our registered luggage service," it added.

Eurostar originally made the changes to its alcohol policy last year, but passengers appeared to have only recently noticed.

Twitter user The Man in Seat 61 tweeted Sunday that the company had "quietly" changed its policy.

However, on Wednesday he took to social media again, giving Eurostar a "thumbs up" for rewording the rules.

Eurostar's onboard alcohol policy now states that to "maintain a comfortable environment for all our travellers" it has "some limits" on the amount of alcohol passengers can take on board.

"We reserve the right to confiscate excessive amounts of alcohol intended for consumption on the journey. We also have the right to refuse access to our services if a traveller's physical or mental state is affected by alcohol or drugs.

It says "typically" it limits on board consumption to four bottles or cans or beer or one bottle of wine each and no large bottles of spirits.

No alcohol is sold on, or allowed on, night ski trains and trains taking fans to, or from, sporting events.