- James Timpson said his teen daughter Niamh was left stranded at London Euston
- A Virgin Trains inspector refused to let her through barrier as she ‘looked older’
- Businessman labelled firm ‘a disgrace’ for leaving the girl 180 miles from home
- Company claimed that those who ‘look older’ than 15 should carry identification
The boss of British shoe repair giant Timpson has slammed a rail provider after staff refused to let his 15-year-old daughter board a train because she is ‘not a child’.
James Timpson, the firm’s chief executive, said his teenage daughter Niamh was left stranded at London Euston when an inspector refused to let her through a barrier.
The businessman angrily tweeted a photo of the schoolgirl’s ticket, on which a Virgin Trains guard had scribbled ‘not a child’ as he believed her to be older than 15.
Calling the company a ‘disgrace’, Mr Timpson lambasted the guard for leaving a young girl stranded 180 miles from her home in Manley, Cheshire.
The businessman angrily tweeted a photo of the schoolgirl’s ticket, on which a Virgin Trains guard had scribbled ‘not a child’ as he believed her to be older than 15
James Timpson (pictured), the firm’s chief executive, said his teenage daughter Niamh was left stranded at London Euston when an inspector refused to let her through a barrier
He wrote: ‘Virgin Rail at Euston. Why do you stop a 15-year-old girl at the barriers [who has a valid ticket] from traveling home.
‘You say she has no ID to prove how old she is. It’s 7pm and she is alone now at the station. When did you have to prove how young you are? You are a disgrace.’
The tweet prompted hundreds of responses from social media users, with staff eventually allowing Niamh onto the train with her £41.95 ticket.
A relieved Mr Timpson, 46, added: ‘Good news. Just picking Niamh up from Crewe station.
‘Not a good experience at all of the Virgin Rail ticket inspectors at Euston. Be a kind and caring company please.’
The company responded to Mr Timpson’s complaint by stressing that children who ‘look older’ than 15 should carry identification.
A spokeswoman for Virgin Trains said: ‘Customers under the age of 16 are eligible for a 50 per cent discount on fares and we do recommend that if a child looks older then it may be appropriate for proof of age to be carried when travelling.
‘We’re sorry for the experience of Mr Timpson and his daughter and we are in touch with them so we can look into this properly and offer a gesture of goodwill.’
Calling Virgin a ‘disgrace’, Mr Timpson lambasted the guard at Euston (pictured) for leaving a young girl stranded 180 miles from her home in Manley, Cheshire