A 71-year-old volunteer claims he has been banned from maintaining the railway station clock made famous in the classic film Brief Encounter because of alleged racist remarks he made about child immigrants to the UK.
Jim Walker, a volunteer with the Carnforth Station Trust in Lancashire, north west England, has been winding the clock twice weekly for 13 years.
But after a male visitor to the station overheard Mr Walker having a private conversation with other volunteers about reports that Syrian adults had been posing as child refugees in order to seek asylum in Britain, he was reported to his bosses for alleged racist behaviour.
A secret inquiry conducted in his absence concluded he must have made the comments. He was then sent a lawyer’s letter forbidding him from entering certain parts of the station.
The station clock – made famous thanks to appearing in Brief Encounter, which was also filed at Carnforth station – has gone unwound ever since.
Mr Walker said: “I’ve no regrets. I’d say it all over again because we must all stand up for free speech. It’s democracy to have the right to speak your mind. If anything, they should be apologising to me. I’ve been tried and convicted of racism in my absence – where’s the justice? People around here are all for me. I’ve had them stop me in the street and say they’re shocked at the way I’ve been treated. People in this country used to speak their mind. Now they’re all too frightened to – just in case someone overhears and reports them.”
In the apparently incriminating private conversation, Mr Walker told fellow volunteers he agreed with some media claims that Syrian teenagers bore no similarity to the genuine Jewish child refugees sheltered by Britain during the Second World War.
Despite no one taking evidence from Mr Walker, the letter he was sent said: “It is clear the visitor’s version of events was a true picture of what went on.”
The letter cited “loud offensive remarks” which used “inflammatory and highly abusive” language.
Peter Crowther, chairman of the Carnforth Station Trust, said: “A visitor complained about insulting and racist comments. He said that if action wasn’t taken he would report the matter as a hate crime to the police.”