Troon man in court over Virgin train service rant

Jan 1 2010 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

Troon man in court over Virgin train service rant

A RAGING charity boss ended up in the dock after losing his temper with a call centre worker.

James Steele was angered by the terrible service he and his wife received from Virgin trains.

But when his letters of complaint were ignored, Mr Steele phoned the customer care centre for an explanation.

When they failed to apologise, Mr Steele hurled verbal abuse at the man on the other end of the phone – and made reference to his English accent.

At Ayr Sheriff Court this week, Mr Steele, 61, pleaded guilty to acting in a racially aggravated manner and causing alarm and distress to the call centre employee from his Troon home on May 7 this year.

But defence lawyer Colin Adam told Sheriff John Montgomery that the matter was not as simple as it first appeared.

Mr Adam explained that Mr Steele and his wife travelled on a Virgin train with first class tickets.

The couple were seated beside the toilets, which overflowed during the course of their journey.

Mr Adam said: “The contents of the toilet flowed into the carriageway. Mr Steele asked if he and his wife could be moved but was told that wouldn't be possible.”

Mr Steele and his wife were forced to endure the horrendous stench for the duration of their journey – despite locating two empty carriageways further up the train.

When he returned home, Mr Steele sent three letters to the company before he received a response.

He was eventually told to send his train tickets to Virgin, but then he was ignored again.

Mr Steele decided to phone the company and, after eventually breaking through a firewall of touch tone options, he was eventually connected to a human.

But he was told that there was nothing the company could do for him.

Mr Steele, who has worked for a cerebral palsy charity on an unpaid basis since 1995, lost his temper.

Mr Adam continued: “Within an hour he realised the error of his ways. He phoned and apologised and then he wrote to the company to again apologise.

“He didn’t hear anymore about the matter until five months later when the police turned up at his door.

“Mr Steele has done all he can to try and resolve matters.”

Sheriff Montgomery agreed with Mr Adam and admonished Mr Steele, of Craiklands Crescent in Troon.