Man who became internet hit after throwing suspected fare dodger off train is top financier
ALAN Pollock, the man who became an internet hit when he threw a suspected teenage fare dodger off a train, is a financial manager with one of the world's biggest asset management firms.
Mr Pollock, 33, was applauded by passengers when he dragged 19-year-old Sam Main from the Edinburgh-Perth train after the student failed to produce a valid ticket during a lengthy confrontation with a conductor.
Footage of his intervention has been viewed 600,000 times on the internet and a Facebook group called, "Pay yer train ticket or the big man will chuck ye aff", has been set up in his honour.
The family of a suspected teenage “fare dodger” who was thrown off a train by a vigilante called yesterday for the man to be charged with assault.
The burly businessman, who was casually dressed in a rugby top at the time of the incident on Friday evening, is a performance manager with the blue chip investment management company BlackRock in Edinburgh.
Sheila Kinloch, his sister-in-law, said yesterday that she was not surprised that he stepped in, adding: "It's just like him to stand up for somebody. He doesn't like younger people being disrespectful to their elders.
"I'm very impressed. You can clearly hear the man getting verbally abused and Alan has clearly decided to step in and help."
Mr Pollock has not commented on the incident and is said by one friend to be embarrassed by the attention he has received.
At their upmarket home on the banks of the River Forth in Stirling, his wife Avril described the father-of-three as a "quiet man".
Mr Pollock joined BlackRock last June and specialises in risk analysis. He was previously head of client reporting at Barclays Wealth. He describes his interests as investing, running, hillwalking and canoeing. A spokesman for BlackRock refused to comment on the incident.
Meanwhile, Mr Main's family have called for the burly "vigilante" to be charged with assault.
Mr Main suffered cuts and bruises when he fell on the platform as he was thrown off the train at Linlithgow station, one stop short of his destination at Polmont.
He is a second year surveying student at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh and admits that he was drunk at the time after celebrating sitting an exam.
However, he insists he was mistakenly given two single tickets for an inward journey to Edinburgh - after being advised it would cheaper - instead of one single for the inward journey and one for the return journey.
However, an industry source told The Daily Telegraph that his claim "did not ring true".
He said two single tickets for the journey between Edinburgh Park and Polmont cost pounds10.20, while the standard day return ticket is pounds9.20.
He added: "Clearly, it is cheaper to buy a standard day return. And at all times on the tape, he shows only one ticket. It was for his outward journey in the morning from Polmont to Edinburgh Park, not for his return trip at night." British Transport Police are investigating the incident.
- Auslan Cramb
© Telegraph.co.uk
