Three soldiers returning from Afghanistan were ordered off a train and threatened with arrest by a 'jobsworth' ticket inspector.

The men from the Intelligence Corps were on their way home from Helmand for a fortnight's rest and recuperation when he challenged them, claiming their rail warrants were not valid.

They had been due to arrive on a flight from Corfu at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, so the warrants for their train travel were made out from Oxford station. But their flight was diverted to East Midlands Airport because of bad weather.

So the three from 11 Light Brigade - still dressed in desert combats and carrying their kit bags - boarded the train at East Midlands Parkway station instead to make the last part of their journey to St Pancras Station in London.

Fellow passengers watched with surprise as the inspector queried their right to travel on the 8pm train, the last service to the capital that evening.

A defence source said: 'The guard told them to get off the train and refused to let it leave.

'The train driver even offered to have the men travel at the front of the train with him. No one on the train could understand why the ticket inspector was being so inflexible.'

The unnamed inspector then threatened to call the police. The incident, on January 7, was eventually resolved when another passenger - known only as Mr Parkes - paid for tickets for the three soldiers at a total of £146.

A fourth soldier, understood to hold the rank of captain, was travelling with them, but had a ticket rather than a warrant.

A colleague of the ticket inspector said: 'We are all instructed to use our discretion - he should have just applied a bit of common sense and let the soldiers travel.'

In 2008 there was a warning from the then head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt that a lack of public appreciation risked sapping the willingness of troops to serve in war zones.

A report cited negative attitudes to troops in uniform, including soldiers returning from Afghanistan once being told to change into civilian clothes before landing at Birmingham Airport.

An East Midlands Trains spokesman said: 'We are extremely sorry for the way these soldiers were treated.

'We are currently trying to identify the specific soldiers affected and we will also be providing them with a full formal apology.

'We have also spoken, and passed on our thanks, to the passenger who generously agreed to cover the costs of the soldiers' travel, and we are in the process of reimbursing the costs he incurred.'

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'While still in Afghanistan, troops returning from operations to the UK are issued travel warrants for their onward travel home once they have landed in the UK. In this specific case a decision was taken to divert the flight to East Midlands Airport.

'While this is an unfortunate inconvenience, there is a system in place where personnel can reclaim costs incurred.'
Are you the man who paid the troops' fare or do you know him? Call the Mail on 020 7938 6063 or email news@dailymail.co.uk