Network Rail have been left dumbstruck after someone dumped a unwanted mattress onto the railway track near Swanscombe over the weekend.

An oncoming Thameslink train then collided with the mattress, destroying it and delaying the train.

Trains running to Dartford were held whilst Network Rail and Southeastern Railway sent teams to fix the issue.

No one was injured, but passengers had to be evacuated.

Network Rail said: "This is the opposite of everyone pulling together.

"To whoever dumped the mattress, words fail us."

In a hectic weekend for the railway in south east London, just hours later trains in Swanley were delayed after a train was damaged by a bicycle thrown onto the tracks.

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More passengers then had to be rescued on Sunday from a stranded train in Lewisham after a failure of electrical supply.

A rescue train was sent to take passengers from the stranded train, with staff putting down ramps between the two vehicles.