A DISTRAUGHT pensioner has slammed a “jobsworth” train manager whom she claims demanded £115 in cash and then threatened to prosecute the Good Samaritan who came to her aid.

Lena Ainscow, aged 75, was on a train from Manchester to London to visit her daughter Carol, in Bromley, Kent, and had a prepaid £11.50 ticket when the train manager told her she was on the wrong train and would have to buy another ticket.

She claims staff at Bolton Station had printed out the wrong time on her itinerary.

Mrs Ainscow, of Mackenzie Street, Astley Bridge, was in tears as she was forced to hand over almost all the money she had saved to buy presents for her grandchildren.

Passengers could not believe what was happened and decided to have a whip round for her, spearheaded by Tom Wrigglesworth, a stand-up comedian from London.

He raised enough money to cover the price of the ticket, but was told by the train manager that his actions constituted begging and he was met by police when he arrived at Euston Station.

Mrs Ainscow said: “I was on my own and I didn’t know what to do. I started crying. I said, ‘Are you sure you want to take this money off me?’, and he said, ‘I am sorry, madam, but I have got to’.”

Mr Wrigglesworth tried to intervene, but was told to mind his own business.

Mrs Ainscow said: “The train manager was as hard as nails. There was not a bit of compassion at all. My daughter was worried to death because I was late. It was all because of this jobsworth who thought he owned the train.”

When the train arrived in London, Mr Wrigglesworth was met by police officers, but a group of passengers explained what had happened and no charges were brought.

Mrs Ainscow is now trying to claim back the ticket price from Virgin Trains and said if she succeeds she will give the money to the Help the Heroes charity.

Virgin apologised for the incident and arranged for a car to pick up Mrs Ainscow from her daughter’s house on her return journey and gave her a first-class ticket back to Manchester.

A Virgin spokesman said the incident was being investigated.

Mrs Ainscow said: “Tom was brilliant. He helped me all the way. He was a good samaritan. All the passengers were absolutely wonderful. People were coming up to me with £20 notes but I wouldn’t take them.”