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A tired mother says she was told by a Muslim man that she deserved to be killed - for resting her feet on a train seat.

Ruby Butler, 27, had her feet on a chair on the Overground when the man challenged her and began threatening her.

Ms Butler, who began filming the encounter after he said she should be killed, said she would have removed her feet had he been polite but was shocked at his aggression.

She said: "I was wearing a brand new pair of white Converse shoes which had given me blisters.

Read more: Guard axed in feet-on-seat row

"I wanted to make myself feel a bit more comfortable so I put my feet on the seat.

"The train was quite empty, there were over 50 chairs I could see that were empty but this gentleman with a beard walks along and says 'move your feet from the chair'.

(Image: SWNS)

"I asked him if he worked for the train company and he said 'Yes I do' so I asked to see some ID but he said he was off duty today.

"I said 'Come back to me when you're in a uniform'.

"I was refusing to move them because of the way he spoke to me. If he asked me politely I would have done it.

"He told me that I deserve to be killed and then as soon as I heard that I started recording."

(Image: SWNS)

Ms Butler posted a video to her Facebook page, which has been viewed more than 500,000 times.

She explained: "I asked him politely to go away three times and he wouldn't go away."

In the footage, the Muslim man is shown standing over the mother of two, who was travelling from Wanstead to Acton North last Thursday afternoon.

He said: "I cannot sit there and I cannot pray with my clothes okay? And I travel every day"

Ms Butler said: "Yes? Ok."

Another male commuter, who tried to calm the situation interjected: "I 100 per cent agree with you - she is just not worth arguing with."

Ms Butler, who agreed, said: "It's really not. I am tired. It's been a long day.

(Image: SWNS)

The man then said: "You should be in prison."

She asked: "What for putting my feet on the chair?"

The Muslim man then walked to the other end of the carriage, to argue with other passengers.

Read more: Pregnant woman forced to stand on train after businessman takes her seat and refuses to move

A young male passenger shouted: "This is England, bruv."

The elderly man replied, in a thick Pakistani accent: "Don't argue with me, I know this is England, I was born here and I have as much right as you have."

The pair then argue inaudibly as Ruby walked closer to film the squabble.

The Muslim man, who is facing the other passenger, then shouted: "What are you going to do are you going to do - hit me?"

He led the Muslim man to the train door and said: "Let's get off the train, come on.

The Muslim man then dialled a number on his mobile and said that he was going to call the police.

Ms Butler replied: "This is all because I have my feet on the seat. Please get the police. If they can arrest me for putting my feet on the chair then I will gladly be arrested."

(Image: SWNS)

"But I don't have the same religion as you, Sir. I pray with my shoes on.

"Every day I with my shoes on. I am Christian."

The man shouted: "I am a Muslim and I cannot."

Ruby replied: "This is not a Muslim country."

The man then walked off the train with the other passenger before the video cut out.

Ms Butler thinks the unnamed elderly man was upset because her shoes were dirty, meaning a Muslim person could not pray on the seat where her feet were resting.

She said: "My understanding is that his point of view was that I had my shoes on there and now a Muslim person can't sit there and pray because my shoes are dirty.

"But I had day old blinging white converse shoes and I wanted to say my shoes are cleaner than your clothes so go away but I didn't want to cause an argument."

She also said it might be because of her gender: "It's possibly because I am a woman and I spoke back to this man and he got more and more upset and more and more angry.

"If it was a Muslim lady she might have done what she was told but I am from a Christian community and we don't believe in being spoken down to by men.

"A lot of people have commented that I am racist but I couldn't be racist if I wanted to. I have a lot of Muslim friends and even converted Muslim friends."

Ruby was contacted by the British Transport Police after the footage emerged, but the man is yet to be traced.

She added: "I hope something happens, even if I just raise a bit of awareness for young girls travelling on the train."

A spokesman for British Transport Police said: "We are aware of the video in question which shows an altercation between two passengers on board a London Overground train.

"We are currently investigating and anyone information is asked to contact British Transport Police."