An RAC patrol worker has been sacked for gross misconduct after stopping while on his way to a breakdown call to greet a long-time friend associated with the Raise the Colours movement. Abdul Bashir, a father-of-three from Saltley, Birmingham, lost his job after footage emerged showing him in RAC uniform beside a company patrol van while speaking to Ryan Bridge at Blythe Valley Business Park in Solihull. The footage was subsequently shared online by Raise the Colours. Mr Bashir said he had known Bridge for between 10 and 15 years and had stopped to say hello and have photographs taken with him. However, according to BirminghamLive, a disciplinary hearing found that Mr Bashir should have been travelling to assist a customer who had broken down when he made the stop. Mr Bashir told the publication he was devastated by the decision and said he had been dismissed immediately following the disciplinary process. He said: “I’m gutted. I can’t sleep, I’m stressed out, I don’t know what to do. My head’s all over the place, I’m devastated.” Mr Bashir claimed the RAC had received complaints calling for his dismissal after the footage appeared online. He added: “They said the reason was for stopping and saying hello to Ryan on the bridge. Other people have been ringing the RAC, bombarding them with demands to get rid of me for saying hello to Ryan. “He’s a pal I’ve known for ten to 15 years and I was sacked for that.” Mr Bashir said his company van keys, phone and computer were subsequently taken from him. The disciplinary finding, however, reportedly centred on his decision to stop while he was supposed to be responding to a breakdown call rather than simply on his friendship with Bridge. The RAC has been approached for comment.

Originally published by UKNIP.