SOUTH Western Railway services will be disrupted during a four-day strike, as part of a long-running dispute over the future of train guards.

Services will be affected from Friday, August 30 to Monday, September 2.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) is demanding a guarantee that trains will not run without guards on board.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Our members believe that they are being mugged off by the company in protracted talks and I think they are right.

"The company continues to refuse to give assurances on the future operational role of the guard fuelling fears amongst our members of a stitch up.

Journeys were severely disrupted during a previous five-day strike in June.

The dispute, involving several rail companies, began with RMT strikes on Southern Railway in April 2016.