RAIL bosses have launched an investigation into why passengers were left stranded at Blackburn station when nobody turned up to open the platform gate.

People missed their trains and passengers arriving in town had to use an old subway to get out of the building because the member of staff who normally unlocked the gate swith the key was off sick.

Staff said nobody else knew where the spare key was.

People waiting to catch trains at Blackburn had to catch taxis to stations at Accrington and Mill Hill until the gates were finally cut open by firefighters at 8am.

One disgruntled passenger was Robin Field, of the East Lancashire Green Party, who was due to travel to a conference in Newcastle to give a talk ... on transport!

When Mr Field went back to the station later in the day to pick up a complaint form he found they had all been taken by passengers angry that no extra trains had been put on to cope with the influx of fans travelling to Blackburn Rovers' home game against Liverpool.

Now First North Western has apologised for the disruption and has launched an investigation in a bid to prevent anything similar happening again.

A spokesman for First North Western said: "A member of staff did report in sick at Blackburn Station but unfortunately we were unable to provide cover for quite some time. Due to the seriousness of this incident an investigation has been launched.

"And we apologise to everyone concerned for any inconvenience caused."

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