An investigation has started after two women were trapped on Banbury railway station.

Jackie Gines and her daughter, Emma, were on the last train from London early on Saturday. It arrived in Banbury at 1.15am.

The station was deserted and the exit doors were locked.

Mrs Gines said: "We were petrified. We thought we might have to spend the rest of the night there."

The problems began as soon as they got off the train.

Automatic doors leading from the platform to the stairs would not open.

The plight of the women was noticed by a taxi driver outside the station. He shouted that they should try to force the doors.

Mrs Gines, of Browning Road, Banbury, said: "We had been there for a while when the cabbie saw us. We had to push our fingers into the crack between the doors and pull them apart."

However, that was not the end of their ordeal.

After climbing the stairs and crossing the bridge they found the foyer doors were also locked.

Mrs Gines said: "We couldn't get out of the station. We had to break out of those doors as well.

"I was livid when I got home. To make matters worse, I couldn't telephone Banbury station on Saturday to complain. The only phone numbers I could get were a talking timetable and an answerphone. It seems impossible to contact anyone at the station.

"We had been on a day return to London and stayed for a late meal. We have caught the last train before and usually other people get off at Banbury. This time it was just us."

A Chiltern Railways spokesman said: "We are concerned about the situation and are conducting an inquiry. Banbury Station is manned until 10pm and then a security guard takes over. The doors should not have been locked.

"But there are help points on every platform and the station is well lit. We will look at CCTV cameras to see what happened."

Mrs Gines said: "We were two women stuck on the platform in the early hours of the morning.

"I want to know why there was no-one on duty, and why there is no way of making a complaint."