Clerk in U-turn over dismissal claim

Ian Faletto alleged at a tribunal in Southampton he was sacked after 27 years’ service by South West Trains for removing the trolley at Lymington railway station in Hampshire, where he was ticket office clerk, in March this year.

Many local people supported his campaign to get his job back and New Forest MP Desmond Swayne handed a 8,400 petition to Parliament in support of the award-winning worker.

But after he was presented with new evidence, his counsel advised him to drop his claim, prompting a strong statement from SWT who described the allegations by Mr Faletto as “fictitious Walter-Mitty-style claims” and the company stressed he was not paid off.

It said it was angry about the trolley claim, that Mr Faletto stepping on to tracks was “foolhardy” and that it was “doubly upsetting that many well-meaning people in community were so misled”.

Mr Faletto, 50, had alleged he contacted the signalman to turn off the power and then removed the trolley to prevent an accident.