ANGRY mum Rosemary Sedgwick wants answers from the police and rail chiefs after her teenage daughter and four friends were left stranded in Manchester following a pop concert.

Mrs Sedgwick's 14-year-old daughter Bryony and her friends were ejected from a train home after travelling to see their favourite band Blink 182 perform on December 3.

After the gig, the gang had hoped to catch the last Northern Rail (former North Western Trains) 11.10pm train to Chester via Liverpool but were left stranded after the train they boarded was deemed to be overcrowded.

Bryony and her friends were stranded in Manchester until about midnight after Mrs Sedgwick was forced to drive from Chester to collect the teenagers.

Mrs Sedgwick, of Townfield Lane, Mollington, Chester, now wants answers from police and rail chiefs, saying her daughter - a pupil of Upton High School - and friends had valid return tickets.

They have not received a refund.

She says the youngsters should not have been left alone in Manchester late at night and claims British Transport Police did nothing to ensure their safety.

Mrs Sedgwick said: 'Before the train started a guard came on board and said the train was too crowded and some people had to get off.

'British Transport Police arrived and removed my daughter, her four friends and some other people from the train.

'This was the last train which would have brought them back to Chester. After asking a number of people for help my daughter contacted me and I was obliged to drive from Chester to collect her.

'When I arrived they were clearly visible in a well-lit area of the station, and the only staff on the station were two cleaners. The teenagers had not been offered a refund on their tickets.'

Mrs Sedgwick added: 'I have spoken to the police. They say about 100 were unable to catch that train, and an announce -ment was made telling passengers to assemble on Platform 3, where they would be offered taxis.

'My daughter has no recollection of there being anything like 100 people in the station. If taxis were to be provided I would assume that my daughter would have been told this, but she was not.

'The train was three carriages long, and crowded. There is no legal limit for the number of passengers on board; it is at the discretion of the guard. I can see little benefit in removing 10 people from a crowded three-carriage train.

'The safety implications are appalling. I consider it a gross dereliction of duty that the officers who removed the teenagers from the train did not offer them any support, information or help.

'One person suggested they walked to Piccadilly station and catch a train at 1am which would arrive in Chester at 4am. To suggest a group of teenagers walks across Manchester at night when they do not know their way is appalling.

'Having turned passengers off a train, the police should have accompanied these teenagers to the appropriate place on the station. The police simply left them once they were on the platform.'

A spokesman for Northern Rail said: 'We were concerned to learn of the problems encountered by Mrs Sedgwick's daughter and our customer relations department is in direct contact with the family.'

British Transport Police is also looking into the incident.