A RANGERS fan has been slapped with a fine and handed a Football Banning order after chanting racial and sectarian slurs on a train.

Stephen Bain, 32, appeared in the dock at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Tuesday over the incident on a Scotrail train.

The incident happened on Sunday, February 19, after the Dundee v Rangers Scottish Premiership Fixture had finished.

Bain joined the 7.03pm ScotRail service at Dundee heading towards Glasgow Queen Street.

During the journey towards Glasgow, Bain, who is a Rangers fan, began chanting his support for the team.

But as the journey progressed, his chanting became increasingly derogatory as he chanted racial and sectarian slurs.

The guard on the service then intervened after passengers complained, asking Bain to stop being anti-social.

But his anti-social and abusive chants continued. His behaviour was then reported by the guard to British Transport Police officers via a text to their discreet reporting service. The train was met at Glasgow Queen Street where Bain was identified and detained.

He was later charged and pleaded guilty to an offence under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act.

Bain, of Kingsway in East Dunbartonshire, received a two year FBO and a £2,000 fine was handed to him.

PC Gordon Wason, from British Transport Police, said: “Racist and abusive behaviour such as this will simply never be tolerated and I welcome this sentence. The vast majority of football fans use the rail network peacefully and without trouble. It is a shame that Bain decided to act in such a disgraceful way.

“Not only has Bain received a significant fine, he has also been handed a two year football banning order. Because of his abusive actions, he is now forbidden from going to watch his team – or any other – for the next two years. Hopefully this should act as a firm reminder to him that this unacceptable behaviour will be dealt with seriously.

“I am grateful that the guard on this train alerted this behaviour to us by sending a discreet text to our 61016 service. In doing so, we were able to mobilise our officers and work with ScotRail to ensure the service was met promptly at Glasgow Queen Street. I would encourage anyone who ever witnesses criminality or anti-social behaviour on the rail network to get in touch.”

David Lister, ScotRail Alliance Safety, Sustainability and Assurance Director, said: “Abuse of any kind is not tolerated on the railway. We will continue to work closely with the British Transport Police to clamp down on this unacceptable behaviour."