A MAN was "savagely beaten" by four youths when he told them to stop smoking on a train close to Beaconsfield station.

A gang of teenagers had been harassing the 55-year-old-man, from Buckingham, prior to the assault on April 23.

A station supervisor at High Wycombe said: "There were four young scumbags on the train.

"They lit up a cigarette and this man asked them to stop smoking. When they refused he tried to rip it out of this youth's mouth."

He added: "They just went crazy and beat him up."

The 2.11pm from Banbury to London Marylebone train had stopped in Beaconsfield when the fight broke out.

After assaulting the man, the youths pulled the train's emergency handle and opened the doors.

A spokesman for the British Transport Police said: "The youths ran from the carriage, up the approach ramp into Beaconsfield town centre.

"The victim does not want to press charges, he was not badly injured in the attack.

"There are other possible offences that we are looking into. We are still having a look at the CCTV at the moment but the victim says he was not badly hurt."

Trains leaving Marylebone were slightly delayed and passengers were told that there was a public order incident at Beaconsfield where a member of the public was "savagely beaten" on the train.