A Muslim woman has expressed her gratitude to the public for standing up to a bully who threatened her and her sister on a packed train.

"I was so overwhelmed and still am with all your support. Geordies are truly the best!"

Ruhi Rahman, 23, said passengers including football fans in replica tops on the Tyne and Wear Metro were "angels" after they told her abuser to get off the train.

Ruhi Rahman was traveling on the Tyne and Wear Metro (Photo: NCJ Media Ltd)

The incident on Saturday afternoon between Newcastle and Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, is being investigated. It ended with the carriage clapping as the man got off at the next station.

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Ms Rahman wrote on Facebook about the frightening episode, when a stranger approached the sisters and told them: "Get out of this seat now this is my country":

Can't believe what happened in the metro today. I was with my sister on the metro when this guy approached us and... Posted by Ruhi Rahman on Saturday, November 21, 2015

In a separate online post, she said the response from people had turned a negative "into something so positive":

I just wanted to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart, every single one of you who supported me on the metro and... Posted by Ruhi Rahman on Monday, November 23, 2015

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Sharon Kelly, managing director at DB Regio Tyne and Wear, which operates the Metro on behalf of Nexus, said: "We urge anyone with information about this incident to contact the police.

"The safety of our passengers is paramount. Incidents of this nature are rare on Metro and they will not be tolerated.

"A police investigation is now under way and we will work with them to help trace the culprit. This will include reviewing any available CCTV footage."