Communications knowledgeable, 65, is ordered to pay practically £1,500 for launching foul-mouthed tirade at railway workers

A leading communications expert has been ordered to pay nearly £1,500 after she launched a foul-mouth tirade at railway staff.

Erika Waring, 65, was dropping her mother Margaret, 88, at the main entrance of Wilmslow Railway Station in Cheshire at 1.20pm on August 21, 2025, when staff told her she had driven into a restricted area and directed her to the car park.

Waring, who is Head of Travel and Events for the international healthcare communications company Havas Lynx, was taking her mother, who has severe mobility issues, to London on a West Coast train for a day of sightseeing.

The Convent school educated mother-of-one from Dunham Massey, Greater Manchester, repeatedly swore at station staff after they asked her to move on, calling one porter a ‘f***ing b***h’.

Staff initially advised Waring to move her vehicle to a car park at the rear of the station. But she retorted with a barrage of foul-mouthed abuse.

The altercation even spread to the station platform as Waring and her mother waited for their train.

Police were called to the station which has received complaints online over a lack of free short stay parking close to the main entrance due to ‘aggressive’ cab drivers ‘hogging the drop off area.’

It costs £3.30 for up to two hours to park a car outside the main entrance to the station – even in the four disabled bays. 

Officers located Waring’s vehicle, noted the registration and later called her in for interview under police caution.

During questioning, Waring said her mother had ‘severe mobility issues’ and she parked her car temporarily in the restricted area of the station to help the elderly lady climb the steps to the platform.

She criticised staff at the train station saying they were being ‘vociferous’ towards her. 

At Crewe Magistrates’ Court, Waring pleaded guilty to two charges of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

She was fined £738, ordered to pay both members of staff £150 in compensation each plus £380 in costs and a surcharge, with total costs amounting to £1,418.

A charge of common assault against a third employee, for which Waring had faced up to 12 week in jail under sentencing guideline, was withdrawn.

Miss Annika Livermore, prosecuting, said: ‘An employee at Wilmslow Railway Station Alison McIntyre was directing traffic and the defendant attempted to drive through a restricted area to drop off her mother at the front of the train station.

‘She was informed she was not permitted to stop there and advised to park at the rear.’

Miss Livermore said Waring’s car was later discovered parked in a place where it was deemed to obstruct buses and she was approached by Miss McIntyre’s colleague Robert Pugsley who asked her to move it.

The prosecutor added: ‘The defendant allegedly responded aggressively, with words to the effect of “F***, you f***ing t**t. You do not know what you are talking about” along with multiple repetitions of the word “F***”. 

‘The defendant was of good character before this incident.’

In mitigation, Waring’s lawyer Stuart Flood said: ‘This was a very unfortunate and certainly embarrassing incident for a lady of hitherto good character.

‘She was travelling down to London with her elderly mother who is 88 and who has severe mobility issues. 

‘Quite clearly, this lady has drawn up outside the station and dropped her mother off.

‘She saw her mother walking gingerly towards the station entrance and this lady parked up temporarily and ran to help her mother to get to the steps to the platform where she and her mother were going to travel to London.

‘Quite clearly the member of staff took exception to where this lady parked her car. 

‘All she was trying to do was get her elderly mother as quickly as she could into the station.

‘She felt the way the staff were dealing with her was not appropriate and unfortunately she lost her cool and said words which she should not have done for which she totally apologises for.

‘It was certainly out of character for this lady. Unfortunately, it continued when she was in the station. 

‘She had parked her car and gone into the station where words were said.

‘By this time she was seated with her mother on the station platform, another member of staff approaches and is quite vociferous in his demands to move her car. 

‘But all she was doing was to make her mother comfortable on the platform. 

‘She felt she was quite vulnerable.

‘Again words were said and she says: “I received words.” She accepts she used some profanities that she is embarrassed about.’

Mr Flood added: ‘She has worked both in the UK and America but the majority of time in America where she spent 40 years. 

‘She has always been in employment. She works for a communications firm as head of travel and events.

‘She sends people all around the word as part of her job. She is a single lady. She returned to the UK to be near her mother. 

‘It is a very embarrassing situation and one that will not be repeated.

‘I hope you will accept her sincere apologies to the staff members. It was in the heat of the moment. 

‘She was concerned for her elderly mother. She has travelled all over and used many public transports both in the UK and US and never had any problems hitherto.

‘On this occasion, she felt members of staff had not treated her the way they should but she responded in a way she felt she should not have done.’

In sentencing Waring, JP Robert Alves told her: ‘This was a very unpleasant incident that we would not have expected from someone with your standing in the community. 

‘It was a completely unacceptable display of behaviour and language that you used to those public service employees.’