A man has died after he suffered a heart attack on-board a Eurostar train.

Ambulance and police crews were called to Ashford International at around 1pm yesterday after receiving reports that a 78-year-old man, who was travelling with his wife, had collapsed on the train.

The train, which departed from St Pancras, made an emergency stop at the station.

Medics worked to resuscitate him but he died at the scene.

Ambulance spokesman Rich Airey said: "I can confirm that we were called to Ashford International Station yesterday at approximately 1pm to reports of a man who had been taken ill and collapsed on a arriving train.

"Ambulance crews attended the scene. Attempts were made to resuscitate the man but they sadly proved unsuccessful."

A spokesman from British Transport Police (BTP) said: "Officers were called to Ashford International station after reports of a man in cardiac arrest. Paramedics were also on scene, but despite their best efforts the man sadly died. His family have been informed.

“This incident is not currently being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Last month, rail bosses announced that the new Eurostar trains are unlikely to stop at the Ashford station until early next year due to a long-running technical fault.

The fleet of new trains have been forced to bypass Ashford International after a "power spike" problem was discovered just weeks after a high-profile launch in April last year putting them into service.

Local historian Steve Salter said: "Due to operational issues the E320 train can't physically stop at Ashford as it keeps blowing the electric.

"I knew it was some sort of emergency for it to stop here. It would have affected the electrical supply."

A Eurostar spokesman said: "I can confirm it was an E320 train. They are not generally able to stop there due to a technical issue.

"Of course in exceptional circumstances such as yesterday we can make an exception to allow the authorities to access the train, but the same technical fault occurred and a solution is still being worked on."

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