THE grandmother of a four-year-old boy who was hit in the face after a shopping bag was thrown onto a moving train has thanked West Somerset Railway for their help.

Bailey Hulston and his two grandmother’s, Toni Jones and Paula Jones, were on a steam train on their way back to Minehead after a day trip to Bishops Lydeard on July 22 when their train stopped at Blue Anchor station.

Paula claims a number of passengers boarded the train but as it started to leave the station a man stood on the platform threw a shopping bag through an open window which hit Bailey in the face.

“Bailey was just playing a game of choo choo trains when all of a sudden this bag came flying through the window of an open door as the train was moving off and hit him in the face,” Paula said.

“I didn’t see what was in the bag as I was looking after Bailey, he was crying his eyes out.

“After about ten minutes someone came and apologised to us for the man who threw the bag through the window after I had a few choice words about it. It was awful.

“We reported it to the conductor on the train and he said we could report it to the police but he thought that there was nothing they could do.”

Paula said Bailey suffered a black eye as a result of the ordeal but said he is recovering well and thanked staff at West Somerset Railway for their help.

She said she would urge people using trains to be responsible and not take action which could endanger lives.

“I would like to thank the staff at West Somerset Railway for being so kind and helping us after Bailey got hit by the bag,” Paula said.

“The conductor on the train, he was so helpful and apologetic to us and West Somerset Railway are now looking into what happened.

“I would say to people on train platforms to not do it and to be responsible, it’s dangerous and can harm someone else.

“I would like to say to the person who threw the bag that it is unacceptable, it would be nice to have a personal apology from them.

Paul Conibeare, general manager of West Somerset Railway, said they have launched an investigation into the incident.

“The West Somerset Railway are aware of this incident. Public safety is of paramount importance to us, all incidents of this nature are fully investigated.”