A rail company has apologised after customers complained about a "shocking" announcement made on the loudspeaker about a death on the line.

Passengers aboard the 4.36pm First Great Western service from Paddington to Plymouth were reportedly left cringing after being told the reason for the delay.

They were twice told that the hold up was due to somebody who "couldn't be bothered to live anymore", the BBC reports.

Esmee Phillips, 21, tweeted her disgust, saying that she was "furious" at what she had heard.

She later posted a photo of a detailed complaint, stating: "The woman in question mentioned this person's act of suicide with such disdain, passengers around, and including myself cringed."

She said the announcement said: "Our delays are due to someone who couldn't be bothered to live anymore. 

"Because of this, there are severe delays. Some of you have missed your connecting flights for the Bank Holiday."

Another tweet from her read: "Having a member of staff compare a family's loss to people losing out on holidays is a disgrace @FGW."

While Jay Young posted on the site that the comment made yesterday had made his carriage "gasp".

A First Great Western spokesman said "We expect high standards from our on board teams who are trained to make clear announcements about delays.

"When this involves a fatality this should be done with sensitivity and care.

"We're sorry for any distress caused to customers yesterday and can confirm that this incident is under investigation."