A train conductor who was fired after first class passengers were served sausage rolls he had taken from a bin told a tribunal he had "gone too far for the customer".
The Incident on Board
Peter Duffy, who worked for London North Eastern Railway (LNER), was accused of retrieving the food from a waste bin, plating it, and reheating it before a colleague served it to travellers. The incident occurred on May 7, 2023, onboard an LNER Azuma service departing from York.
Two passengers in first class had requested sausage rolls. Another member of the train crew reported that they were in the kitchen when a host stated the sausage rolls had just been thrown away. Shortly after, they heard loud laughter from the kitchen where Mr Duffy and a colleague were working.
"A couple of minutes later one of the hosts from first class took the sausage rolls to Coach K," the reporting staff member stated. After finishing their own meal, they went to dispose of rubbish and noticed the bin was empty, contradicting the earlier claim that the sausage rolls had been discarded.
Investigation and Dismissal
LNER management reviewed CCTV footage which allegedly showed Mr Duffy retrieving items of food from a bin in the presence of his colleague. The footage suggested the food was then plated, reheated, and served.
Both staff members were suspended pending an investigation into a serious breach of food hygiene standards. At a meeting on May 17, 2023, Mr Duffy admitted his actions, stating he was "a person who goes over and beyond for the customer".
He explained that the train had run out of sausage rolls, but the ones he found were wrapped in foil. "I have just gone too far for the customer in my mind," he said. Mr Duffy also cited suffering from anxiety and depression, and said he was stressed with work at the time.
A union representative claimed Mr Duffy had experienced an episode of transient global amnesia—a temporary short-term memory loss condition—on the day. His colleague denied seeing him retrieve the food from the bin, claiming their laughter was due to her passing wind, but the tribunal later found this evidence unreliable.
LNER concluded that Mr Duffy had committed gross misconduct and dismissed him in July 2023.
Tribunal Upholds Sacking
Mr Duffy brought claims of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination to an employment tribunal in Newcastle in August 2025. Both complaints were dismissed.
In written reasons published recently, the tribunal judge stated that LNER had acted reasonably in deciding to dismiss Mr Duffy. The judge also found that the actions leading to his dismissal were not a consequence of any disability.
This case highlights the stringent food safety standards expected within the UK's rail industry and the serious consequences of breaching them, even when employees claim to be acting with customer service in mind.
