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Passengers on a Southern train have been caught on camera rowing with a mother carrying a baby and trying to stop her taking a first class seat.

Tyrone Williams, from Thornton Heath, shared a video of the argument which was taken on a Southern service from London to Brighton.

In the heated clip, the mother, who has her baby in a sling across her chest, insists she is allowed to sit in the carriage because it is a priority seat.

But an elderly woman sitting in the adjacent seat attempts to stop her from sitting there, saying: “You have to respect your elders and betters and people who actually paid.”

“You should be an example woman,” the mother fires back.

“People have actually paid to sit in this compartment,” the older woman continues, challenging her on whether she has a first class ticket.

“I don’t want a screaming baby sitting next to me,” she tells her.

The exasperated mother, whose baby remains silent throughout, replies: “He’s not screaming, he’s behaving better than you.”

As the argument continues, several other passengers join in the debate, with one telling the mother that she needs a first class ticket for her seat.

But Mr Williams chimes in: “Look, at the end of the day she's got a baby so she can sit where she wants.”

Another passenger claims the restrictions are not in place because of the problems on Southern.

“I’m sorry for breathing your first class air,” the mother sarcastically tells those complaining before the older woman tries to put her off by claiming she has a “stinking cold” and the child might catch it.

Eventually, the mother is offered a seat further down the carriage by a kind-hearted passenger.

“Thank you, that would be nicer,” says the mother and moves, to a short round of applause from other commuters.

The video has been viewed more than 300,000 times since Mr Williams shared it on Facebook with the comment: “Ignorant people who think they’re better than everyone else.”

Mr Williams, a 29-year-old carer from Croydon, told the Standard: "I just thought to myself, this is out of line.

"I didn't like the way the lady was being treated so I got my phone out, just in case it got worse.

"She was just being spoken to like she was dirt."

Mr Williams said he left the train with the mother at East Croydon and told her he would be sharing the video on social media.

He said: "She was very upset. It wasn't a nice way she was treated. But at least not everybody in the carriage was like that towards her."

A spokesman for Southern operator Govia Thameslink Railway said: "Our priority seats are available in both standard class and first class.

"They should be given up if they’re needed more by people with disabilities, expectant mothers, elderly passengers or those carrying infants.

"Passengers using priority seats in first class should still have a valid first class ticket unless first class has been declassified due to disruption."