A Railway guard has been sacked for protecting passengers from a violent thug. Paul Yarwood, 44, reacted after a drunken fare-dodger jumped on to a train and hurled abuse at station staff.
The two men became involved in a struggle during which Mr Yarwood, a soldier for 14 years, was knocked over. As he got up, the dad of three clashed heads with the yob.
But after viewing footage of the incident in June, rail firm One dismissed Mr Yarwood, who must also appear in court this week charged with threatening behaviour.
The thug escaped with an £80 fixed penalty fine for smoking on a train. Fellow rail workers are so angry at the company’s actions that more than 100 picketed the Colchester station in Essex yesterday — and they plan further industrial action.
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union, said: “Rail workers face a daily threat of verbal and physical violence — yet One have failed to provide adequate support.”
Mr Yarwood has also won the support of passengers. One regular traveller said yesterday: “It is a shabby way to treat a guard who seems to have been doing his duty in difficult circumstances.”
The guard’s wife Maria, 41, from Brightlingsea, Essex, said: “Our lives have been ruined by this. Paul was helping to protect his passengers.
“It’s a farce. Their case is based on six seconds of CCTV while there are plenty of witnesses to say what did happen.”
The company insisted it was right to dismiss Mr Yarwood, who has been a guard for seven years, for gross misconduct.
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