A PASSENGER on a train travelling through East Lothian had to climb onto a table to escape an overcrowded carriage after suffering a panic attack.

The mother of the young woman, who has autism, shared a picture of the packed carriage on social media as it made its way from Edinburgh to Newcastle on Saturday evening.

She revealed the "horrendous" condition in the carriage had forced her daughter to climb onto a table during a panic attack.

And when she questioned whether the overcrowding was legal, the train firm told her it was.

Shelly Williamson was travelling on the CrossCountry service which goes through Dunbar train station.

CrossCountry responded to her tweet with an apology (see below).

East Lothian Courier:

It said: "Apologies for the overcrowding on board. We appreciate it doesn't look great. It isn't illegal however as trains do not have a stated maximum capacity."