A young girl's attempts to run away from home in Scarborough has been thwarted by quick thinking by Matthew Smithson, who is a conductor for TransPennine Express (TPE).
Matthew has been named an ‘everyday hero' after stepping in when he noticed the upset girl rush to board a train for York at Scarborough station.
On board the train, the girl locked herself in the train's toilet and was audibly crying and screaming at bystanders that she was ‘running away'. Matthew quickly intervened to check on the girl and ensure that the local authorities had been called.
TransPennine Express works closely with British Transport Police, and reminds customers that anyone can contact British Transport Police with their concerns via text message on 61016, or by calling 0800 40 50 40.
Matthew Smithson, 35, said: “I've worked on the railway for 12 years now and can almost always immediately spot when something isn't quite right.
“After much coaxing and reassurance, I eventually managed to get the poor girl to come out of the toilets and safely wait in the back cab of the train until the authorities arrived.
“I then ensured the other passengers were safely relocated to a train on the adjacent platform when it became clear that that train would be moving before mine.”
Billy Vickers, Head of Safeguarding and Stations at Transpennine Express, said: “Matthew is an absolute credit to TPE and a shining example of the everyday heroes we have working day in and day out to ensure the railway remains a safe place for all.
“Earlier this year we received the prestigious Safeguarding on Rail Accreditation from the British Transport Police (BTP) and the Department for Transport for our excellent work in keeping the network safe.
“As part of this accreditation, we developed a ‘Safeguarding on Transport' course for our colleagues to offer guidance on how to support vulnerable people or handle difficult situations.
“Matthew responded as any one of our colleagues would do when spotting that something ‘wasn't quite right' and this is evidence of our training in action.”
It makes me both proud and emotional when I hear about someone caring about people they don’t even know. Matthew wasn’t just doing his job, rather he was demonstrating what caring human beings do when they see someone in distress. It’s wonderful to know that he has both set a precedent, and inspired enhanced training. Thank you Matthew for inspiring others.
Good to have caring conductors aboard our local trains. Well done Matthew.