Lyndsay McCartney

Said the following about Sharron Porter:

“Sharron, a conductor based at the Newcastle depot, displayed outstanding professionalism when witnessing a case of unwanted sexual behaviour towards a young customer onboard the train service she was working one night in September.

Sharron noticed a teenage girl was looking very uncomfortable and sat next to a man who was trying to engage in conversation with her. Sharron decided to approach the girl to check if she was okay which she initially said she was, but when the man got up to use the toilet a witness told Sharron the man had been inappropriate towards the teenager. Sharron asked the girl again whether she was okay and at this point she said she wasn’t and became visibly upset, so she took her into the train cab to talk.

The girl told Sharron the man had been asking her inappropriate personal questions and touching her arm and leg. Sharron comforted the girl, took her contact details, and let her know she would report this to the police. She left the train safely at Horden and Sharron ensured the man didn’t follow her.

The witness from earlier knocked at the cab door and was crying. She has since witnessed the man on the phone telling somebody he was going to cause trouble on the train. Sharron knew the situation needed dealing with urgently, so she called the police and asked for assistance at Hartlepool station. They advised they were on their way and instructed Sharron to keep the train doors locked until they arrived.

Sharron advised the driver of the situation and asked them to contact control and the signaller to inform them of the delay, but she was conscious the man could become aggressive if he knew the police were on the way, so to avoid any alarm she made announcements advising customers the delay was due to a train fault.

The police arrested the man at Hartlepool.

Sharron’s instinct empathy and quick thinking ensured the teenage girl and other customers were kept safe, and her professionalism ensured railway colleagues were kept informed of the situation.

Reflecting on the situation, Sharron is keen to stress the importance of patrolling the train as it keeps our customers safe. If Sharron hadn’t walked up and down the train that night, she wouldn’t have been able to intervene in this case of unwanted sexual behaviour towards the teenager. The girl has said Sharron was her guardian angel that night.“