We have heard of rail passengers being delayed by the wrong kind of snow or leaves on the line - now a train has been brought to a standstill by a pigeon.

Passengers were stuck outside Charlbury station after the pigeon hit a high speed First Great Western Adelante this morning.

The bird, believed to be a wood pigeon, struck the front of the carriage at such a force it caused a leak in the air system for the brakes and meant the train could not travel safely any further.

An engineer was called to fix the brakes and two hours later, the carriages were moved to empty sidings in Oxford.

The pigeon collision with the 9.52 from London Paddington to Hereford caused at least four other rail services in Oxfordshire to be delayed and others to be terminated early at Oxford and Great Malvern.

A spokesman for First Great Western said: "However surprising it may seem, high speed collisions with animals and birds can lead to substantial damage and it is normal practice to stop the train and carry out a safety inspection."

Delays on the Cotswold Line continued into the evening.