BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis angers train passengers after letting her pet whippet take up seat

BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis has been slammed after letting her sleeping pet pooch take up a train seat.

The journalist, 48, was snapped with whippet Moody as she travelled on a Great Western train to London Paddington yesterday.

She was blasted by fellow passengers, who argued some commuters were unable to sit down as the dog was in the way.

One told The Mirror: “For someone who is very much in the public eye, who holds politicians to account, I would have expected her to behave better.

“When I boarded the train it was really busy. A lady was looking for a seat and ended up sitting behind Emily and not on a seat with a table, where there is more room.

“Some people chose to stand, as there were few spare seats. It shows a lack of respect for other passengers to feel it appropriate for dogs to sit on seats meant for passengers.”

AGAINST THE RULES

The passenger said the dog “should have been on the floor” as it could have had “ticks or fleas” – and explained it was dozing on the seat for at least 25 minutes.

Maitlis last week hosted a chaotic live BBC debate with the then-Tory PM hopefuls – but was accused of being tougher on Boris Johnson than any of his rivals.

A spokesman from Great Western confirmed the company does allow people to bring animals on their trains but said they are never allowed on seats.

In a statement, Maitlis said: “There was no one without a seat looking to sit down.

“The dog was under the table for the first three hours of the journey whilst four people sat down at it.

“He came on to the seat for the last 17 minutes of the journey when the seat next to me became free.”