A singing guitarist held up trains during this morning’s rush hour after he chose an unusual spot to serenade commuters – the middle of the track.

Shocked onlookers watched the man as he stopped trains from moving with his one-man concert on the tracks of St James Street Station in Walthamstow.

Apparently swigging from a bottle of wine the man was eventually persuaded to come off the tracks by a commuter.

Police arrived shortly afterwards.

Commuter Bex Williams witnessed the man jump onto the tracks, before holding up a train.

 

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

She said: “The man was sitting on the platform singing and playing guitar. He suddenly climbed onto the track as a train heading from Liverpool Street pulled into the station.

“He stood in front of it strumming and strolling about the tracks. He then began verbally abusing people on the platform.

"I'm not sure what he was singing, it wasn't very tuneful. He did cry out that he had a distinction in a masters degree."

Miss Williams added he ‘danced away’ after a couple of songs.

Greater Anglia, which runs trains through the station, tweeted that the line was blocked by "trespassers".

British Transport Police said in a statement: "We were called to St James Street station in Walthamstow at about 8.50am to reports of a man walking on the tracks.

“Officers attended and searched the area, but the man had left the station.

“We received a further report at 11.05am that the man had returned.

“Our officers attended alongside colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service, and the man was escorted from the station to a place of safety.”

 


 

Greater Anglia Tweeted services returned to normal at around 9.15am.