A furious mum has slamed an elderly couple she claims refused to give up the train seats which had been reserved for her family.
Amanda Mancino-Williams said the pair told her it it "didn't matter" when she pointed out that she had pre-booked the seats they were sitting in on a CrossCountry train from Cheltenham to Nottingham.
She tweeted a picture of the couple saying: "If a mum with three kids and bags has four reserved seats for a long train journey, and you're sitting in their seats on a full carriage, don't tell them that their tickets don't matter in a posh voice and then say you're not moving and refuse to make eye contact. Don't be these people."
She also tweeted a picture of her three children cramped into just two seats.
"My 12yo is just staring this woman down," she tweeted.
When the 37-year-old mum-of-three old a train conductor about the couple, he upgraded the family to first-class seats, the Mirror reports.
She said: "A kind man offered me his seat. Spoke to conductor who was calm, lovely, and apologetic, said that instead of engaging with them that he was going to move us to an empty table in first class. I grabbed our bags and turned to the couple and said, with a smile, 'enjoy your seats!'"
Amanda said there was no point in people reserving seats if people are allowed to sit in them, adding that she would have let the couple have them if they had a good reason.
She said: "[The woman's] instant dismissiveness of me and the children told me all I needed to know about her. I didn't feel it was my responsibility to acquiesce to that kind of behaviour.
Watch: What to do if someone is sitting in your train seat
"I was shocked and tired. Any mother who travels with bags and children knows how your mind is in a thousand places, so things like reserved seats are something you count on.
"They make your journey manageable. I'd booked a table so the children could do their schoolwork."
Amanda's tweet received overwhelming support on Twitter.
@nwaby said: "Should have just sat on them....if they don't move from your seat it's their tough luck..."
@Emuziek tweeted: "No way that should be tolerated. You took the time and trouble to reserve seats. They have no business being in your seats. Good on the conductor to help, but they should have assisted and removed those two from your seats. Sends a message."
A spokesman for CrossCountry told the Sun the family had been "let down by others who ignore the labels".
