A man is considering going to an employment tribunal after being sacked for moving a shopping trolley and other items off a railway line.
Ian Faletto, who had been station master at Lymington Station for 27 years, was sacked by South West Trains for gross misconduct as a result of the incident which occurred in March this year.
He said he removed the trolley and some smaller items including tin cans off the line as there was a train due. He said he phoned the signal box before going onto the line to ask them to turn off the power but an area manager had seen him on CCTV and said that he had breached health and safety rules.
He was suspended and then sacked for gross misconduct at a disciplinary hearing. As well as losing his job Mr Faletto has also lost his pension and his mortgage payment protection. He said: “Given all I have done for South West Trains over the years, I’m disgusted by the way they have treated me. All I want is my job back.”
A spokesman for South West Trains said that staff are banned from going onto the line unless it is an emergency or they are trying to prevent a disaster. He added: “We can confirm that an employee has been dismissed for a serious breach of safety. All our employees are aware of the importance of complying with the strict rules governing railway safety, which we have a duty to enforce.”