A RAIL passenger who became an internet sensation after throwing a fare-dodging student off a train has been unmasked as a finance manager.
Alan Pollock, of Stirling, was filmed intervening in a dispute between an elderly conductor and 19-year-old Sam Main aboard a ScotRail Edinburgh-Perth train on Friday.
During the video (which is shown above, via YouTube) Mr Pollock, a performance manager at finance firm BlackRock in Edinburgh, received a round of applause from fellow passengers after forcibly removing Mr Main from the train.
Mr Main, whose eviction from the train has now been seen by a million people, has insisted that he had paid his fare.
British Transport Police said they have received a complaint of assault and are now investigating.
Today, the man thrown off the train, 19-year-old Heriot-Watt student Sam Main, defended himself, claiming he had paid.
He said: "In the morning I got a ticket from Polmont to Edinburgh Park before 10am, so I wasn't able to use my railcard to get a return. The guy sold me two singles but they were both for Polmont to Edinburgh. I didn't realise until later but I thought I'd be able to explain what happened to the conductor on the train.
"I was on my way home from my second exam when it happened. I'm diabetic and hadn't eaten all day so I was just desperate to get home. I wasn't given a chance to explain the ticket situation. The conductor just immediately said: That's the wrong ticket. Off!
"I didn't even see the other guy coming. He lifted me up from behind and all I could see was chairs and the floor. He chucked me off and I landed right on my face. I tried to get back on to get my bag but I was shoved off again. I did get my bag back after that though.
"I ended up getting a taxi back to Falkirk. It cost me £20. I did have money to buy another ticket but I wasn't given the option."
He added: "I've probably spent thousands of pounds on rail travel. I normally use a season ticket but when the exams are on I just buy a ticket on the day.
"I did pay for my fare, I just didn't get a chance to tell the conductor what happened."
Mr Main, from Falkirk, is in his second year, studying building and surveying at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. He was thrown off the train at Linlithgow station.
When asked how he felt about other passengers applauding the incident, Mr Main shook his head and said: "I don't know. I don't want to give my opinion about any of it. I just wanted to tell my side of the story."
The video clip introduction says it was filmed on a ScotRail Edinburgh to Perth train on December 9.
A British Transport police spokesman said: "We have received a complaint of assault. We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and our inquiries are ongoing."
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