Millionaire boss slams Virgin after daughter stranded at Euston
A millionaire boss of a shoe repair chain has vented his frustration after his 15-year-old daughter was left stranded at Euston when staff didn't believe her age.
James Timpson, chief executive of Timpson Shoe Repairs, said his daughter, Niamh, 15, was preparing to get the train from London to Crewe when she was stopped by an inspector at the ticket barrier who believed she was too old for her child ticket, reports the Standard.
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Passengers who are under 16 are entitled to use discounted tickets, but Niamh reportedly did not have any ID to prove her age.
Mr Timpson called the initial decision not to let her on the train a "disgrace".
He took to Twitter to share his opinion, writing: "Virgin Rail at Euston. Why do you stop a 15-year-old girl at the barriers (who has a valid ticket) from travelling 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."
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.
— James Timpson (@JamesTCobbler) 12 December 2017
He also shared a picture of Niamh's ticket on which a staff member had written "Not a child".
@VirginTrains Photo of ticket your inspector wrote "not a child" on for our 15 year old daughters trip to London today. She is 15. pic.twitter.com/qDiBiPsnV2
— James Timpson (@JamesTCobbler) 12 December 2017
Niamh managed to get on a later train and Mr Timpson kept his Twitter followers up to date, urging staff to be "kind".
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.
— James Timpson (@JamesTCobbler) 12 December 2017
According to the Telegraph, 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."
However, according to the Independent, some users pointed out that many children don't have ID to prove their age.
Shaz Hussain tweeted: "This is so crazy, at 15 years old why and how would you have any ID to prove your age? Surely a lack of ID would show she is a child."