STEPHEN Fry has had to pull out of a high-profile media event in Manchester after his Virgin train from London was cancelled after a person was hit by a train.

The Media Festival, at the Palace hotel, had been billed as 'a glitzy gala opening to this exciting event in the UK's alternative creative capital' and the actor and broadcaster was due to give a talk.

He is a prominent user of social networking site Twitter and at 3.50pm he tweeted: "All Virgin train services are suspended until further notice… Manchester and the media conference I was to attend and speak at will have to cope without me somehow it seems."

At 4.40pm he added: "I really don't know why I'm still waiting here at Euston to be honest. Trains cancelled. Certainly won't get to Manch in time."

Fry finally gave up hope just before 5pm when he was told that he would not get another train for at least another hour."

He tweeted: "Bah! Def can't get to Manchester in time. So I've turned tail for home. Sad.

Immobility

"On the plus side, an unexpected free evening. I might make an Airfix model of a Virgin train. It will be lifelike in its total immobility."

A spokesman for Virgin Trains said that the problems had been caused by a person being hit by a train in Harrow, in north west London.

The spokesman said: "Virgin regrets any disruption caused to passengers today.

"Passengers' tickets will be valid on other routes and they are advised to find alternative means of travelling."

Fry is one of the most influential users of the Twitter networking site, with more than one million followers.

He has used the service to criticise columnist Jan Moir's article on the death of singer Stephen Gateley.

He had been expected to talk about the power of social networking and its impact on politics and the media.