ANYONE who has ever been on the last train home between Lancaster and Barrow will appreciate the importance of transport police.

There will undoubtedly be someone on the verge of being sick, plenty of passengers who hope to get back without having to buy a ticket, and probably a group of lads or lasses being rowdy and obnoxious.

You will also likely know that there is little point in challenging such behaviour and so you end up spending the journey staring out of the window into an inky expanse and hoping you don’t attract anyone’s attention.

But it shouldn’t be like that and the steps being taken by British Transport Police to tackle disorder on the trains should be welcomed.

If the authorities crack down on these incidents then they will become less and less common and law-abiding passengers will not spend the journey home on edge.

But even if there is no-one around to put a stop to bad behaviour BTP also offer a discreet texting service.

All you need to do is send a message stating which train you’re on and a brief description of the incident and people involved and hopefully an officer will be able to meet the train at the next stop.

It’s a great service and means nobody will know you have contacted police.

Text 61016 if you need help.