Rastafarian Man Considering Legal Action Against National Express After Being Thrown Off And ‘Discriminated Against’

A National Express spokeswoman told HuffPost UK that the company takes any allegation of discrimination very seriously and does not condone it in any form.

She said: “Our investigation into this incident is not yet fully concluded but something clearly went wrong on this occasion. We have apologised to Mr Watt for his poor experience, and as a goodwill gesture while this is being investigated, have offered him a refund and ten complimentary journeys.

“Mr Watt did have a valid ticket and should have been allowed to travel. The situation was handled incorrectly and we are working to quickly understand why this happened and take any necessary actions to ensure it does not happen again.”

However, Watt and Brown are disappointed with what they described as an “unsatisfactory” letter of apology, sent via post and email on 30 January, and are preparing to take legal action against the coach company for discrimination under the terms of the Equalities Act.

The company apologised for a “poor” experience in the letter, seen by HuffPost UK.

“We see that you had a valid e-ticket for that service, but were refused travel. This is completely unacceptable and we are investigating why this happened to try to ensure that this does not happen again.”

A South Wales police spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “At around 2.20am on Tuesday, January 29 police attended Sophia Gardens to prevent a breach of the peace following a report of an aggressive man on a bus.

“No force was used, he left the location, and there was no further police involvement.”

The spokesperson confirmed that a complaint had since been received, and investigated, by the force’s Professional Standards Department 

After reviewing body worn footage as part of this investigation, the force has concluded that “there is nothing to support the allegation that officers have racially discriminated against him,” a spokesperson said.

“The officers were courteous, professional and acted correctly in trying to resolve the situation.

“The dispute over the ticket remains a civil matter between Mr Watt and the bus company.”

Born in Clarendon, Jamaica, Watt is a part of the Windrush generation and moved to the UK at the age of 12.