Two pensioners violently arrested in a peaceful protest to defend concessionary rail fares won support from Unite yesterday ahead of their court hearing.

George Arthur and Tony Nuttall will stand accused of fare evasion and obstructing a police officer at Sheffield magistrates’ court on Monday.

But they’ll stand in the dock with the support of more than a million Unite members after delegates unanimously backed an emergency motion at their conference.

Delegate John Garvani described video evidence of Mr Arthur’s arrest at Sheffield railway station on June 23.

“The person in the video being arrested isn’t some tanked-up, rugby playing 20-year-old,” he said. “He’s a pensioner having his arms forced behind him, his head pushed down so that he’s bent double.”

Unite conference chairman Tony Woodhouse said the footage was “horrific.”

Police snatched the pair after kettling a group of 60 pensioners protesting against cuts to rail concessions by taking a free train ride.

Officers pounced on Mr Arthur when he refused to reveal his name and address to a ticket inspector.

And Mr Nuttall was cuffed by cops when he and other distressed OAPs protested at the treatment of their friend.

The arrests were condemned by Mr Garvani as the latest of a long history of “police brutality against peaceful protesters” in Britain.

Sheffield bus driver Dave Smith told delegates that Unite had prevented the scrapping of free fares for pensioners and disabled people on the city’s buses.

Urging members to join Monday’s solidarity protest outside court, he added: “Unite’s bus drivers won that dispute.

“Now imagine what we can do with the entire union behind them.”