Police storm packed train after commuter's umbrella is mistaken for samurai sword

Police stormed a packed train after commuters mistook a passenger's umbrella for a samurai sword.

Ray Brown, 22, tweeted, "so police held my train for 10 minutes because they thought my umbrella was a samurai sword" with a picture of the apparently suspicious-looking umbrella.

Mr Brown said half a dozen officers boarded the train at Deptford station in south-east London on Monday morning after passengers raised the alarm.

He told the Evening Standard that he believed the recent stabbing at Leytonstone station had made the passengers on board more wary.

His tweet has been shared nearly 7,000 times.

A British Transport Police spokesperson confirmed that officers were called to the station at 10.30am following reports of a man "carrying an item which looked like a sword".

“Officers met the train at Deptford station and spoke to the man. The item was found to be an umbrella, and no further action was necessary," a spokesperson quoted by the Standard said.

“While this incident turned out to be a false alarm, the report was made in good faith.”