'Union scumbags!' : Angry commuter is caught hurling abuse at Southern Rail train staff live on Good Morning Britain

A furious commuter was filmed hurling abuse at striking Southern rail drivers
The man in a suit shouted 'union scumbags' at the picketers in Brighton station
Scene was caught in the background of a live Good Morning Britain broadcast

Published: 15:09 GMT, 13 December 2016 | Updated: 15:45 GMT, 13 December 2016

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A furious commuter was caught on camera as he shouted 'union scumbags' at striking Southern Rail train drivers during a live TV broadcast.

Good Morning Britain correspondent Nick Dixon was reporting from Brighton train station this morning, where members of the Aslef and RMT unions are picketing.

While Dixon was speaking to presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, an irate commuter walked up to the drivers and shouted: 'Scumbags, union scumbags'.

However the drivers appeared unfazed by the abuse as chuckling could be heard off camera as the commuter stormed off.

Good Morning Britain correspondent Nick Dixon was reporting from Brighton train station when a man in a suit, seen behind, walked up to picketers and shouted: 'Union scumbags'

Travel chaos gripped London and southern England today as a 48-hour Southern Rail strike got underway. Pictured commuters in Victoria Underground station, south London

Travel chaos gripped London and southern England today after members of train drivers' union Aslef walked out at midnight last night, marking the start of the 48-hour strike. A second 24-hour strike is planned for Friday.

The shutdown - the worst disruption in two decades - has impacted the roughly 3,000 commuters who rely on Southern services each weekday.

Thousands of commuters packed on to already crowded London Underground and London Overground carriages, as well as trains operated by other rail companies, as they struggled to find alternative routes to work after their regular Southern trains were cancelled.

Meanwhile stations that are usually serviced by Southern Rail trains were eerily quiet today as passengers were warned not to travel.

The furious man was seen pointing at the striking train drivers in Brighton station, where Good Morning Britain was broadcasting live this morning

The commuter came within feet of the drivers as he hurled expletive-ridden abuse

The picketers appeared unfazed by the abuse as chuckling could be heard off camera as the commuter stormed off, seen behind Nick Dixon

The strikes comes amid a separate row between Southern and the RMT union over changes to the role of guards, as well as staff shortages, staff sickness and other problems. Together the unions have timetabled a total of 14 days of strike action over the next month, including three days from New Year's Eve.

In response, commuters are planning a protest outside the Department for Transport on Thursday evening.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling continues to blame the unions for the months of disruption to Southern services and urged them to sit down with the company to resolve the dispute.

But Aslef and the RMT union have attacked the Government, saying ministers had been preventing Southern from negotiating properly.