MYSTERY surrounds reports of a smashed windscreen on a train near Marks Tey yesterday.One commuter said the 11.12am from Marks Tey to London stopped suddenly shortly after leaving the station and that the driver told him the train had been shot at, breaking the glass.

Roddy Ashworth

MYSTERY surrounds reports of a smashed windscreen on a train near Marks Tey yesterday.

One commuter said the 11.12am from Marks Tey to London stopped suddenly shortly after leaving the station and that the driver told him the train had been shot at, breaking the glass.

But both British Transport Police and rail operator National Express said they had no reports of the incident.

Passenger Bill Martin, from Henley Road, Ipswich, said: “Suddenly the brakes came on, the train came to a stop and then the driver said someone had taken a pot shot at the train.

“I was in the front carriage and saw it - you could see the hole.

“The driver reversed back to Marks Tey and everyone got off - there were about 300 passengers.”

A spokeswoman for Network Rail, however, said that although there had been reports of a smashed windscreen on the line, it had been at the rear of the 11.39 service from London to Marks Tey, where all trains from the capital terminated yesterday because of engineering works.

She added that the driver of that train had been in the locomotive at the other end and had only noticed it once he had got off.

“There is no indication of what has happened. It could be one of a number of causes other than being shot at.”

She added: “We have no reports of anything affecting the 11.12am Marks Tey to London service.”

A spokesman for British Transport Police said: “We have heard nothing about this.”

A spokeswoman for Essex Police also said they were unaware of any incident.