A teenager has appeared in court charged with carrying an imitation firearm on a train at Clapham Junction.

The 17-year-old, from Sydenham, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after being arrested by British Transport Police’s Clapham neighbourhood policing team.

Southern Revenue Protection inspectors found the teenager and a friend travelling in the first class carriage of a Victoria to Brighton service without a valid ticket.

They were escorted from the train at Clapham Junction by the inspectors, and as they were leaving the train a member of staff reported seeing the teenager discard a black item on to one of the seats.

Inspectors searched the carriage and found an imitation gun inside a black sock.

The member of staff alerted a British Transport Police officer, who arrested the teenager.

The teen has since been bailed and will next appear at Balham Youth Court on February 9.