A Tom Jones fan missed out on seeing her idol last night after suspected vandals caused train services to grind to a halt.

Jan Simmons, from Faversham, was left close to tears after her Southeastern service could not get her to Margate on time for the Welsh singer’s show at Dreamland.

It comes after a train was brought to a standstill and passengers had to be evacuated after a driver reported hitting a fire extinguisher on the tracks near Ospringe last night.

The 56-year-old, who was travelling with her partner, Paul, and her brother, Jim, had been looking forward to the concert since the tickets first went on sale, as the last two times she had seen the legendary crooner she had food poisoning.

She told KentOnline: “I've seen Sir To before but twice I had food poisoning, so I was really looking forward to seeing him and not feeling really ill.”

While the occasion was even more special as Jan said it was her brother’s first time.

“My brother had always wanted to see him in concert and this was the only time we managed to pull it together - or not, as it happens,” she added. “We were so disappointed. I almost cried.

“I've always loved Tom Jones, but it seems I'm not really meant to see him in concert.”

Jan and her family were forced to abandon the entire journey as she said by the time the train company decided they might put coaches on, it would have been too late to have got there.

Southeastern has apologised to customers caught up in delays on services running between Teynham, near Sittingbourne and Faversham last night.

Jan has now applied for a refund for the cost for the train ticket and would like whoever caused the problem to pay her the £150 price of the tickets.

She added: “If anyone hears that their child or friend did that, point them in my direction as they owe me over £150 as we’re unlikely to get it back.”

Sir Tom added a second night to his tour at Dreamland due to popular demand having last played the seaside town almost sixty years ago.

Southeastern Railway Communications and Stakeholder Director Jonny Holdcroft said: “We’re sorry to our customers who were delayed following an obstruction on the Faversham line on Friday evening.

“A train was brought to a standstill between Teynam and Faversham after the driver reported hitting an object left on the track.

“Customers were safely evacuated onto another train and taken to Faversham so they could continue their journeys.

“Services were fully restored after it was confirmed it was safe to do so.

He added: “Vandalism and trespass on the railway is very dangerous as well as being disruptive to our customers and we work with British Transport Police to find those who are responsible for it.”

Anyone who is delayed by 15 minutes is encouraged to claim delay repay compensation via the railway operator’s website here.

Southeastern is also reminding customers to check before they travel as there is a strike and planned engineering works happening today.

British Transport Police was approached for comment.