A CAMPAIGN to renationalise Kent's trains will be stepped up next week with a visit by union chief Bob Crow to the county.

The General Secretary of rail union RMT is joining his members next week on a leafleting blitz of stations in Kent, East Sussex and South London.

The union is campaigning for South Eastern Trains to remain permanently in public hands to avoid timetable cuts currently being considered by the Strategic Rail Authority.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Crow said: "If slashing essential services is the only way they can make the franchise attractive to the private sector, then their plan is fundementally wrong and must be stopped.

"Back in public hands under the control of the SRA the company has already notched up a nine percent improvement in punctuality - still not good enough, but the best improvement of any Southeast commuter service."