Train passenger banned from carrying tea to seat

London, Nov 8 (ANI): A train passenger was shocked when he was banned from carrying a cup of tea to his seat on health and safety grounds.

Interpreter and author Tore Fauske was travelling from Birmingham to his home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, when he was told carrying the tea back through the carriage would pose a danger to other passengers, reports the Daily Mail.

Buffet car staff told Fauske that they could not serve him a hot drink because they had no paper bags to put it in.

The 79-year-old had to return to his seat with a member of the buffet staff carrying the drink and walking two steps behind him.

"I use this train service all the time and they normally give you a small paper bag to carry your tea in. But this time they didn't have any, "said Fauske.

"The lady was very apologetic but she said I couldn't have a tea because there were no bags. When I asked her why not, she said it was for health-and-safety reasons. She said they wouldn't be able to let anyone carry a cup of tea without a bag through the train. I thought it was a joke," he added.

"In the end a member of staff had to walk behind me carrying the tea in case I fell over. This is the first time I've had my own personal tea caddy. He walked two steps behind me the whole way back to my seat," the author said.

He said he saw other passengers encounter similar problems.

"It was a health-and-safety issue. It's to prevent customers pouring hot water over themselves or other people on the train.

We had run out of paper bags and a member of staff stepped in to help out," said a spokesman for CrossCountry Trains, which was operating the service. (ANI)