A disabled woman has said she was forced to stand for over an hour after two men refused to move from her reserved seats on a train.
Cat Lee, from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, booked two seats on the service from the Virgin East Coast service from King’s Cross to Skipton on Tuesday but said they were already occupied when she got on board.
The 43-year-old, who says she suffers from chronic pain and cannot stand for long, said she and her carer had asked the men to move but they refused and she posted their photo on social media.
She wrote on Facebook: “Meet these gentlemen. Travelling from London Kings Cross on the 18:03 to Skipton.
“Charming fellows took reserved seats from Rach & I. As a disabled passenger, I stated why I needed my reserve seat. They didn't budge.
“I'm sure their wives and mothers would be proud of them.”
The mother of two, who had been forced to give up work due to her condition, said she had been travelling home from London with her carer but that because the train was so busy she was unable to push through standing passengers to find a guard.
Virgin trains staff had reportedly been unable to put the reserved tickets on the seats and one of the men claimed there had been an announcement saying reservations were no longer valid.
Eventually, two bicycles were moved so Ms Lee and her carer could sit down elsewhere.
But Ms Lee had specifically booked the seat next to an electrical socket so she could plug in a heated seating pad which helps her manage her pain.
Her husband, Gordon Lee, told MailOnline: “Cat was angry last night and just shattered after her journey and experience.
“The pain she is in leaves her feeling tired. She took the gentlemen’s photos and shared it on her Facebook page. She is exhausted in bed but is aware it has caused some comments.”
Her friend, Kath Sansom, said: “She was in pain and needed her friend there for support.
“Cat feels angry that people think they can do as they please with no consideration for others. The seats are reserved. End of. I just hope it sends a message to others not to do this to people.”
But the father of one of the men contacted MailOnline to insist his son was not that sort of person.
He said: “I know my son and I know that he would give up his seat for the elderly, or anyone that needed it. He told me she was sitting all the way and that reservations were cancelled on the train.”
A spokeswoman for Virgin East Coast declined to comment on the specific case but told The Independent: “If a customer’s reserved seat isn’t available our on-board team will either ask people to move from the reserved seat or find an alternative.
“On our east coast services we also have our seat guarantee – so if we can’t find you a seat when you’ve reserved one, you’ll get a full refund for that journey.”
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