A commuter group has called for panic buttons to be installed on trains after a rugby chief was mugged travelling to his Sussex home.

Francis Baron, chief executive of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), was recovering at his house in Hassocks today.

He was attacked by two men as he travelled from London's Victoria station at 10pm on Tuesday.

Mr Baron was travelling in a first-class carriage when the men entered. One punched him twice in the head while the other stole his laptop computer, briefcase, wallet, mobile phone and passport.

The attackers ran off when the train stopped at Norbury Station in south London.

RFU spokeswoman Patricia Mowbray said Mr Baron had escaped serious injury.

She said: "He was shaken, so he is taking a few days off work."

Mr Baron was already sporting an injury following an accident in a taxi a few days earlier, in which he broke his wrist.

Ms Mowbray said: "He's not having a very good time at the moment."

Shelley Atlas, chairwoman of Brighton Line Commuters, said the attack showed the need for greater measures to protect late-night rail travellers.

She said: "The trouble with first-class carriages is that they are very isolated.

"There should be something like a panic button to attract the attention of the guard, if there is one travelling on the service.

"We would also like to see panic buttons in the toilets so they could be used by people who suddenly become really ill, say with a heart attack or epileptic fit."

"There are communication cords but these only stop the trains. If they are travelling at speed, they take time to stop and, by that time, the driver can't do much to assist in such incidents.

"There was a time when police travelled on late-night trains".

"It is vital in the period coming up to Christmas, with more people using trains after parties or a show, that passengers feel safe.

"All late-night trains should have guards and it would make passengers feel secure if they saw police officers on board."

British Transport Police said their robbery squad was investigating the incident. They are also examining CCTV footage.

A spokesman said such attacks were very rare and Mr Baron appeared to have just been very unlucky.

Although first-class carriages were quieter than the rest of the train, there were no statistics to show those passengers were at any more risk.

He said: "Our advice to anyone travelling late at night is not to advertise what you have with you. If you've got a laptop, leave it in a bag. If you've got a mobile, keep it in your pocket.

"If you are likely to doze off, slip your hand through a strap or keep your bag between you and the wall of the train, not on the seat next to you. If you can, try to sit near the guard.

"The majority of people who travel by train don't get robbed or mugged. But my view has always been if someone sees it, they'll try to nick it."

Mr Baron, a former player for London rugby club Rosslyn Park, was made the first chief executive of the RFU in 1998.

He had previously been a director of Yorkshire Television and helped set up the satellite channel Eurosport.