Passengers shell-shocked to find crab pinching a ride on train

By Isobel Williams

Train passengers were left shell-shocked after discovering a live crab - sitting in its own seat.

The crabby commuter - who has been named Craig - was found on Wednesday evening on a South Western Railway service from London to Portsmouth.

Train driver Mark Walsh was approached by a passenger about the crustacean and at first thought it was a joke - until he saw the seat pincher.

Mark says that Craig was quite poorly from the journey, but they dropped him off at a park with a pond in Southsea.

The driver speculated that the crab might have escaped from a fisherman's box or have been placed as a prank by schoolchildren.

Great Western Railway posted about the incident on Facebook, writing: "Unusual customer alert.

"On a recent SWR journey one of our drivers, Mark, was approached by a polite customer who said: ‘Excuse me driver, there’s a live crab on the seat over there and it’s been there since I got on at Guildford.'

"The crab - who Mark named Craig the Crab - made it all the way to Portsmouth and Southsea before being re-homed."

Mark commented on the post: "Feet on the seat. So shellfish & inconsiderate."

And he told the BBC: "Some people were quite concerned because I was walking around the station with a crab in my hand, but most people didn't bat an eyelid.

"They must have just thought another day in Pompey."