A STATION lock out "fiasco" continued today when rail bosses failed to explain why passengers were left stranded - or apologise for the mix-up.

Blackburn station was left in chaos on Saturday when early morning travellers were unable to get on to the platform as trains whizzed by. And people who got off trains found they were stuck on the platform and had to use an old subway to get out. A member of staff arrived at 7am, but only to open the ticket office and travellers were told that the key holder was off sick and nobody knew where the spare key was.

Staff arranged taxis for passengers to stations at Accrington and Mill Hill and the gates were eventually opened at about 8am by fire crews with cutting gear.

Today, First North Western, which is responsible for opening the gates, could find nobody to explain what happened or apologise for the inconvenience.

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!

He said: "What sort of management system do First North Western have if it all depends on one man who fails to turn up with the key? I shall be writing to the chairman to demand not only compensation but an assurance of a back up system in future to ensure that this nonsense cannot ever happen again." 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 fans travelling to Blackburn Rovers' home game against Liverpool.

Staff at First North Western's Manchester head office said today that they no longer have a press officer. Staff could not find anybody in authority to comment on the Blackburn Station incident.

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