Police officers have been praised for their response to an incident at Abergavenny Station where a woman was allegedly abused by a man after arriving home from work.

The woman had been at work before she got off a train at Abergavenny Station on Friday afternoon. As she walked out of the station, a man approached her and directed verbal abuse towards her. Soon after, a crowd had gathered as commuters and local residents were left stunned by what they saw.

“I thought it was a joke at first,” the woman told The Chronicle .

“I didn’t realise he would continue and I didn’t know who he was. I completely froze before pulling out my phone and calling the police. While I was on the phone he continued shouting at me and asking what I was doing.”

“I was so frightened and there were other people watching on who couldn’t believe what was happening.”

In the unprovoked onslaught, the perpetrator is claimed to have sworn and repeatedly used derogatory terms against her before a bystander intervened.

While still on the phone to the police, the woman said the call operator could hear the abuse she was enduring. Officers are said to have arrived within minutes.

The woman who reported the incident was reportedly encouraged to move away from the man who continued shouting at her, but this proved to be impossible as he closed in on her personal space.

She was stood with a friend’s granddaughter when the event unfolded, and said it was a scary and frightening experience for the teenager too. After officers arrived on the scene, the situation was de-escalated and the man was removed from the station.

When The Chronicle approached Gwent Police for a statement on the nature of the call, the force said the offence was dealt with via a community resolution.

“At about 4.35pm, on September 25, we received a report of a man shouting and being verbally abusive whilst at Abergavenny railway station,” a spokesperson said.

“Officers spoke to the man involved, and person who reported this, and it was dealt with via a community resolution.”

Such action is usually taken when an offender accepts responsibility for their behaviour and where the alleged victim agrees they would not like any more formal action to be taken. The most appropriate offences to suit such an outcome include minor assaults (without injury) and anti-social behaviour.

Resolutions can include the offender being given advice about their behaviour, sending a letter of apology to the victim or making some form of effort to repair or pay for any damage they may have caused.

“I wish to extend my sincere thanks to the members of the public who intervened, including the staff from the station cafe,” the woman continued.

“I strongly feel that abusive behaviour of any kind cannot and should not be excused or tolerated.”

“I am very grateful for the response from Gwent Police, who arrived within minutes and provided exceptional support and professionalism.”