Diane Abbott MP tweeted about the incident when her train from Edinburgh to London was held for an hour
British Transport Police were forced to apologise to two men who were seized by armed officers while on a train at York station.
The two men, who were described as "Middle Eastern" were taken off a busy train in front of startled passengers before being returned about 40 minutes later.
The incident happened at about 4pm on a busy Edinburgh to London train and was witnessed by Diane Abbott MP, who tweeted that the two men had been on a British Army course.
Abbott said the train was delayed for an hour just outside York station before armed officers boarded and conducted a search of the train.
She tweeted at 4.59pm: "2 Asian guys just escorted from my train by armed police."
Abbott later corrected the men's ethnicity saying they were actually "Middle Eastern" and were let back on the train about 40 minutes later.
"Asian guys, snatched off train by armed police in York, are back looking really fed up. Everyone too polite to ask what happened."
She added: "2 guys wrongly seized from my train were Middle Eastern & actually doing a course with the British Army. Police apologised to them."
A spokesman for the British Transport Police said: "Police were called to York rail station at 3.34pm on Friday 1 July after a passenger reported seeing a man with a gun in his bag on board the 13:30 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross service. The train was held at York station while armed units from North Yorkshire police attended to search the train.
"Officers found no cause for alarm and the train was released."
A spokesman for the British Army said they ran numerous training courses for foreign and British nationals.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jul/01/middle-eastern-men-diane-abbott
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