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A BBC radio star has tweeted his fury at paying £144 for a train ticket – and finding himself “trapped” by the toilet with more than 20 fellow passengers.

Pete Morgan, who front BBC WM’s 5am to 7am early show, tweeted a picture of the packed Bank Holiday scene aboard the Virgin Trains service to London on the morning of May 23, 2015

The image, which was later used by Jeremy Corbyn supporters on Twitter in the aftermath of #traingate, showed passengers forced to stand in a narrow corridor outside the loo and still more on their feet in the carriage beyond.

The presenter, who had booked a seat on the train, exchanged tweets with Virgin’s customer services team over his miserable journey.

Morgan said passengers had expressed safety concerns about the number of people confined in the space.

He asked Virgin: “Why oversell a train to this degree? And can you guarantee that 24 in such a small space is safe?”

The company apologised for the overcrowding but said it could not stop passengers booking tickets on the day of travel, adding to the pressure on services.

Of passenger safety, it said the train had “measures in place” that would stop it moving if it was too full.

But Morgan hit back: “I can disprove that with the three people that just fell into me as the train moved.

“Nobody hurt, but people are concerned.

“One person got off at Coventry. One on, more refusing to board.

“Twenty three people by the toilet cubicle – is that safe?”

The issue of overcrowding has been a key point made by those pressing for the construction of the HS2 high-speed rail line from Birmingham to London.

Watch: The People's Orchestra surprise Virgin Trains passengers

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In November 2011, it was reported that passengers on a Virgin service from London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street were asked by a guard to sit on the floor while the train increased speed to recover lost time.

The company said the official may have been “a little enthusiastic with his announcement” but safety was not at stake.

A spokesman said at the time: “Overcrowding on trains is an issue we take very seriously.

“If people do not have a seat for their journey it is not comfortable but it does not pose a risk to safety.

“Trains are always going to be crowded for as long as we have walk-up railway, where people can buy tickets just before they travel.”