DOGGONE IT!
Station manager hounded out of his job after killjoy rail bosses ban pet from office
TALK about ruff justice! Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has intervened after train firm jobsworths stopped a station manager taking his dog to work.
Richard Bunce, 54, said he was “forced out” by bosses who banned him from bringing his German wirehaired pointer George to work.
Mr Bunce and George were a much-loved pair at Horsley railway station, in Surrey.
However South Western Railway discovered that Mr Bunce was taking four-year-old George to work when it was mentioned in a review of the station and he was told to stop.
The firm told him that it was against the rules.
Mr Bunce said he had no choice but to leave the job as he cannot make or afford alternative arrangements as his shifts start at 5.30am.
Mr Bunce, a former train guard, now feels forced out of his beloved job, despite there being no complaints from passengers about George being in the office.
But the station manager has received a huge boost after the Transport Secretary stepped in.
Mr Shapps, right, took to Twitter and sent a message to SWR which stated: “Sad to hear that South Western Railway is planning to dispense with the services of George the station dog, along with his owner, station master Richard Bunce.
“Sounds like ruff justice to me! A little less tick-boxing would brighten up everyone’s day.”
More than 3,900 people have signed a petition calling for SWR to let Mr Bruce have his dog back in the station.The petition has been backed by East Horsley Parish Council.
Adam Aaronson, who started the petition, wrote: “George wasn’t doing any harm.
“He and Richard make a great team and that makes a lovely, happy station. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
With their tails firmly between their legs, South Western Railway replied to Mr Shapps’s tweet and said: “We have been working with Richard this week to find a way for him and George to continue their good work at Horsley, while maintaining the safety of our customers and colleagues and hope to resolve soon.”
Mr Bunce said: “For some people, dogs are family. That’s what George is to me. I took it upon myself to bring him into work. I was never told I couldn’t, but I didn’t ask either. It never caused any problems. Everyone has been very positive about it. “He stays in the office so
he’s not a bother.”
ATRAIN company’s decision to stop a popular station manager bringing his beloved dog to work is frankly barking. Nearly 4,000 people signed a petition calling for ex-guard Richard Bunce to be allowed to continue working at Surrey’s Horsley station with George, his German wirehaired pointer, joining him in the ticket office.
It would be an outrage if bureaucrats’ fixation on rules forces Mr Bunce out of his job. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps described this as “ruff justice” and we hope South Western Railway comes to its senses.