A man who threw a fare-dodging passenger off a Scotrail train, shown in a video broadcast on YouTube, could face charges after student Sam Main lodged an official complaint with police.
"Big Man" Alan Pollock, a 34-year-old father of three from Stirling, was applauded by fellow passengers after he physically threw Main off the train for failing to present a valid ticket for his journey.
The surveying student had begun swearing at the conducter and refused to move, despite the Scotrail worker insisting he would remain there “all night” if he had to.
Pollock then asked the grey-haired conductor "Is there a problem here?" before adding "No problem - right you, off."
As he returned to his seat, one passenger is heard saying "Cheers big guy". The video is captioned “Don’t mess with the big guy.”
The aptly-named Big Man
However Main has spoken out after the Scotrail incident, telling Sky News:
"I can't understand why a grown man would attack a young boy from behind and assault him and throw him off a train,
"If he had tapped me on the shoulder and turned round and said "would you please leave the train" I would have seen he was such a big man and wouldn't have been messing with him. I would have got off the train."
Main insists that he did buy a ticket for the journey, but was “half-asleep” when the conductor asked him for it.
"I realised when I was on the train going to Edinburgh that both tickets said Polmont to Edinburgh Park.
"On my way home, I tried to explain to the train conductor but he wasn't willing to listen. There was no progression - it wasn't an argument. It just completely erupted and then I felt myself getting thrown off the train."
Main was left with grazes on his face and cuts and bruises on his legs after the incident. He says that he only put up resistance when he was being thrown off because he believed his bag was still on the train.
His flower salesman father Lenny, 43, waded into the debate telling the Daily Record that the ‘big man’ should expect his time in court.
“This big guy has basically thrown him head first on to the platform. Sam’s landed on his face and has a big graze. He’s tried to get back in the carriage to get his bag.(Main didn't realise his bag had also been thrown out after him)
"He’s diabetic and all his things were in that bag – his medication, his university notes, his money, his mobile phone and his ipod. But he’s been thrown off again. This man has to be charged and have his day in court.
“He had no right to do what he did. If I was him, I’d expect to be charged.”
Financial manager Alan Pollock is said to dislike all the media attention. His wife told the Herald Scotland "He's a very private person, he doesn't even have his own Facebook."
British Transport police confirmed an official complaint had been made.A British Transport police spokesman said: "We have received a complaint of assault.
“We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and our inquiries are ongoing."
Responses have divided the nation: see some social media reactions below: