Jennifer Plumbley

Said the following about Jamie Taylor:

“An incident occurred at the station where Jamie is the station supervisor. A vulnerable male entered the station and approached the booking office window where they started to ask some very spurious questions.

Jamie overheard this and knew that something didn't feel quite right. The male walked away from the booking office window so Jamie went out into the booking hall to monitor the male. The male seemed quite agitated and sat outside the front of the station. Jamie went outside and portrayed to be carrying out checks of the station so that he could continue to observe the male. Jamie then engaged in conversation with the male who said he didn't know where his family were and he was trying to find them. The male then made his way into the booking hall and out on the platform.

Jamie went into the booking office and asked the station team to call 999 for an ambulance and the police as he knew the male needed help and attention. Jamie is not a smoker himself, but always carries a packet of cigarettes and a lighter in his bag as he finds them a really useful engagement tool to break the ice with potential vulnerable people and get them talking. Jamie grabbed his cigarettes and headed out to the platform.

The male was now standing with his heels over the edge of the platform with his back to the tracks. Jamie ran into the station and advise the station team to call the signaller to block the line. Jamie then returned to the male and asked him to come away from the platform edge. Jamie had noticed that throughout his interaction with the male, the male had constantly kept one hand in the pocket of his trousers. Jamie asked the male again to come away from the edge and asked him to come and have a cigarette with him at the front of the station. The male engaged with Jamie and slowly followed him. Jamie continued to keep the male talking and tried to get him to take his hand out of his pocket by asking him if he had a mobile with him or a train ticket, to which the male said no. The male kept his hand in his pocket.

Shortly afterwards the ambulance crew arrived and two female paramedics approached. Jamie walked back into the booking hall and at this point noticed from behind the male that he was clutching a large knife with the handle in his pocket and the blade upwards of his lower arm. Jamie managed to articulate to the paramedics that the male was armed with a knife without alarming the male and the two paramedics were able to retreat to their ambulance.

The male then made his way back into the booking hall. Jamie alerted the booking office to re-call 999 to advise the police the male was armed. He instructed the booking office team to stay in the confines of the booking office. Jamie went to the café tenant we have on site and told them to lock themselves in the back of their café (whilst keeping the actual café open so not to alarm the male.) Jamie instructed one of his dispatch staff to lock the automatic doors from the booking hall to the platforms to prevent customers entering the booking hall where the male was now standing, still clutching the knife in his pocket. Jamie's forethought was to keep all of the station and the passenger’s safe - and he discreetly spoke to a female passenger advising her to leave the area immediately as the male was armed with a knife. Jamie was constantly monitoring the male to ensure no one came into the path of him whilst he waited for the police to arrive, putting himself in danger to protect others. The station team directed passengers from the platforms through another exit which did not involve having to come into the booking hall and having locked the automatic doors, this prevented any opportunity for members of the public to come into a position of danger.

The police arrived and approached the male with Taser guns advising him to drop his weapons. The male eventually dropped the knife and then went on to produce a large pair of scissors from his other pocket. The male was then detained by the police.

Jamie's actions throughout the incident were calm, considered and without doubt he had the safety of his team and the users of the railway at the forefront of his mind rather than his own. Not only did Jamie prevent the male from potentially taking his own life, Jamie's quick thinking and actions throughout this ordeal potentially saved many others. Jamie undoubtedly deserves recognition for his actions on this day and for preventing what could have been a very different outcome for many people.“