Disabled passengers stage Southern rail protest at London Bridge

The protest was staged by campaign group Transport for All during Wednesday evening's rush hour.

Southern's move to require disabled passengers to pre-book assistance at more of its stations follows the controversial decision to remove guards from many of its trains.

"It's shameful that Southern Rail are allowing disabled passengers to bear the brunt of their failures to deliver a reliable service," said Faryal Velmi, director of Transport for All.

"We have heard daily from disabled transport users stranded on freezing platforms, or forced to crawl onto trains when rail companies have failed to assist them.

"This unacceptable backwards step for access simply cannot be allowed to stand so we're coming together to demand that Southern Rail reverse their decision."