THE TRAIN “vigilante” who made worldwide headlines last week for throwing a suspected fare-dodger off a train has revealed he will stay silent about the controversial incident.
Alan Pollock, 35, nick-named the “Big Man”, works for an investment management company in Edinburgh and has said he has been advised to remain tight-lipped by his solicitor in order to avoid difficulties with his high-flying employers.
British Transport Police is investigating the incident which saw Mr Pollock removing student Sam Main from a train for arguing with a train conductor for ten minutes.
Speaking for the first time, from his home inStirlingwhere he lives with his wife, Avril, Mr Pollock said he was unable to comment and added: “I’m sorry; my solicitor has told me not to say anything.”
Meanwhile, Mr Main, the 19-year-old student involved has complained on his Facebook page that his life has become a “crazy mess”, since the incident happened on December 9.
He also insisted he was not responsible for contacting the police in online posts on his personal Facebook page.
The Heriot-Watt student, who has been inundated with messages of support from as far as the Bermuda islands, said: “I’ve never told anyone about the police so I don’t know where they think this complaint is coming from.”
Another entry read: “So much bulls**t man. This is a f***ing crazy mess.”
Youtube
Mr Pollock, intervened after the teenager failed to produce a valid ticket on the Edinburgh-to-Perth Scotrail service at Linlithgow Station.
The confrontation was filmed by another passenger, Ian Hems, and has become an Internet sensation, receiving more than 1.8million hits on YouTube.
In the notorious clip, Sam Main is seen arguing with the train conductor who asks him to get off the train several times.
After moments of arguing, Mr Pollock then asks if there is any trouble before he hauls student Sam Main from his seat, drags him through the carriage and hurls him on to the platform at Linlithgow,West Lothian.
He then twice stops the 19-year-old getting back on.
Alan then returns to his seat to a round of applause from passengers and the clip comes to an end
However, Mr Main, from Falkirk, who sustained cheek and leg injuries in the incident, insists he is innocent and says he had been sold the wrong ticket.
Mr Main’s father Lenny, 43, revealed that his diabetic son tried to get back on the train to retrieve his medicine from his bag.
Mr Main, did not know that the bag had already been thrown on to the platform by another passenger.
But while Mr Pollock is remaining tight lipped about the incident, his father Jim spoke on his behalf last week.
He said: “He’s not impulsive, but the situation was getting out of hand and the inspector wasn’t able to do anything.
“I brought my children up to know right from wrong and that’s all my son was doing.”
He added that he would have done the same thing if placed in the same position as his son.
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