SOUTH West Trains say that rail strike leaders are "brewing for a fight" as they continue to turn down the company's peace-making offers.

Thousands of commuters stayed at home yesterday as guards walked out for the second time this month. Three more strikes are planned on May 18, 25, and 29.

A SWT spokesman said the company was hoping to get members round the table again.

"We will do everything to avert more strike action but there has to be a willingness by the RMT to find a solution. They are brewing for a fight," he added.

Services across southern England and commuter trains into London were seriously disrupted by yesterday's action.

Limited services were run from Guildford, Basingstoke and Southampton to London Waterloo, as well as between Salisbury and Basingstoke and Southampton and Portsmouth.

SWT said it had made concessions on every issue raised by the union, including complaints about having to wear name badges and red coloured waistcoats.

The spokesman said: "We now believe the RMT does not want a solution - it wants a strike."

The union appeared "hell-bent" on obstructing customer service improvements, which were at the heart of the dispute," he said.

He claimed no reasons for rejecting the latest peace proposal were given and the union had "muddied the waters" by raising new issues.

The union said SWT had failed to understand the nature of the problems affecting its staff.

An RMT spokesman said: "We are disappointed that to demonstrate our feelings we are having to take industrial action."

Workers for more than 20 rail firms are to vote on industrial action in a long-running row over the role of guards.

Thousands of RMT members will be sent ballot papers next week after the dispute unexpectedly flared up.

The union has complained that guards have less responsibility under rule changes introduced more than a year ago.