ScotRail have revealed a new plan to clamp down on anti-social behaviour on the railway lines after community concerns were raised.

Following a ScotRail recruitment drive, the rail company are set to have two ticket guards on trains rather than one, which will also help clamp down on fare dodging.

It comes after the News raised the issue with Scott Prentice, commercial director of ScotRail at a recent Largs Community Council meeting.

Mr Prentice said: "We have had a trial run on the Glasgow Central-Helensburgh line which has proved success.

"That particular route was chosen because it had the highest number of recorded incidents - and on the last four trains on the evening we had two ticket examiners.

"We have all experienced being uncomfortable on a train, and our staff members are pretty exposed to it and they are generally the ones being assaulted, be it verbally or physically.

"Pairing them up is working and we are getting enough data to justify it and roll it out across the network."

Largs and Millport Weekly News:

Mr Prentice added it was very important to report disorder to British Transport Police as it helped re-direct police resources. 

He said: "I was heartened when speaking to station staff at Largs before this meeting event they told me that the British Transport Police had been on the train and had travelled back with the schoolchildren.

Mr Prentice added that ticket guards would also be wearing body cameras in future as an important deterrent.

Community councillor Robbie Stevenson asked about the plan on having two ticket guards on board, and pointed out that it must be increasing revenue for ScotRail against rail dodgers.

Mr Prentice said it had proven successful, and remarked: "There is no other part of Britain it seems where there is the same amount of rail dodging than in west of Scotland.

"It seems to be ingrained in the culture here. It is odd as nobody would think about getting on a bus, ferry or a plane without a ticket or paying a fare, so why would you with a train?"

He added that mobile tickets were growing in popularity and with ticket guards employed with scanners that had helped , and for every scan the ticket guard get 2p in commission.

He said: "That might not sound a lot in practice,  but it does start to add up, and it ensures that staff are encouraged to check all the tickets."