Big crowds headed for Sandwich to watch Tiger Woods find the rough

They say the train firm Connex is using carriages to carry golf fans to the tournament.

But the firm says a spate of vandalism earlier this week has unexpectedly seen more carriages taken out of service.

Connex says it has only taken carriages from off-peak trains to provide extra services to carry golf fans to Sandwich.

Connex - which was told last month it would be stripped of its franchise at the end of the year - had long planned extra services to Sandwich during the tournament and issued special revised timetables.

'Forced to drive'

On each of the four days of The Open, at least 40,000 spectators are expected to head for Sandwich, normally a quiet coastal town with a population of about 5,000.

Connex said it was only taking carriages from off-peak services to create the extra trains and would not shorten rush-hour trains.

But commuters say they have found the capacity of trains reduced both on Thursday's opening day of the tournament and on practice days earlier in the week.

Connex says vandalism was to blame for trains being shortened

Simon Edgecombe, from Tenham in Kent, told BBC Radio Kent his wife had been forced to drive to work in London - paying the congestion charge - because there was no room on her regular morning train.

He said: "Connex suggested that it may be possible to obtain a refund or some vouchers.

"We don't want a refund or vouchers - she just needs to get to work having paid the fare for a service that isn't being provided.

"I think Connex have put profit before their general passengers."

Connex spokeswoman Sarah Boundy said she was "extremely sorry" passengers had found trains more crowded than usual.

But she said: "It's true we are running additional services to Sandwich for The Open.

"These trains are not made up of carriages taken from our peak time commuter trains, but from off-peak services only.

"But over the last week we have experienced a higher level than usual of vandalism and this has meant that we have been forced to take trains out of service for unplanned maintenance."