A 38-year-old man died after jumping in front of a train as it pulled into Oxford Rail station.

The man from Kent was killed instantly after he leapt from the north end of Platform 1 at 4pm yesterday.

He was struck by the busy Hereford to Paddington train as it approached the station, leaving the young driver dazed and upset.

Passenger Harry Mears, 76, of Valentia Close, Bletchingdon, comforted the driver as he stood on the platform afterwards.

"The driver saw it happen and he is very upset. He said he did not see him coming. I told him not to worry about the dead, only the living," said Mr Mears.

Police believe the man was trying to commit suicide and are not treating the death as suspicious.

Rush-hour trains were delayed by nearly an hour while emergency services cleared debris from the track.

Dozens of passengers were stuck on trains waiting outside Oxford after the incident took place.

Mr Mears, a retired train driver, said: "As a professional railwayman I did not see the need for it because they had enough lines to get them all through quicker."

After the body was removed from the tracks, it was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital to be formally identified.

The train will undergo a full inspection and the driver was interviewed by police.

Insp Bob Alleyway, of British Transport Police, told the Oxford Mail:: "We received a call from the British Rail switchboard who had information that a man had jumped in front of a train.

"Our officers attended along with local police officers but the man was declared dead at the scene.

"Officers found ID on him and went to inform his father."

Details of the dead man have been sent to the Oxfordshire Coroner and an inquest will be held in the next few months.

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