The 80-year-old owner of Harrogate coach firm Murgatroyd was left bleeding after being “punched” in a row over fuel.

Keith Murgatroyd was left “black and blue and badly shaken” by the incident, according to his daughter, Sophie Murgatroyd.

Ms Murgatroyd, a solicitor, told the Stray Ferret her dad took a coach to refuel ahead of doing a school run only to be told by a member of staff there was a £30 limit.

She said her dad questioned this because a sign said HGVs were excluded from the limit but the employee refused to accept this.

Ms Murgatroyd said:

“My dad walked back to bus, leaned over the steering wheel to get his wallet, and then this member of staff punched him in the back of the head and continued to punch him until he was dragged off.

“People couldn’t believe what they witnessed.”

Ms Murgatroyd, who spent 20 years growing up on her parents’ farm in the Harrogate district but now lives in Cheshire, has returned home to look after her dad. She said:

“I appreciate we have just come out of covid and there is a fuel crisis and everyone is incredibly stressed but as a daughter this is incredibly hard to stomach.

“This has really shaken him. He hasn’t driven since.”

Read more:

• Driver shortage causes bus cancellations in Harrogate district
• Man arrested after Saturday night street brawl in Pateley Bridge

The alleged incident happened on an Esso forecourt on the A1 outside the Harrogate district.

Local Legend

Mr Murgatroyd, who lives in Thruscross, took over the business from his parents Harold and Elsie Murgatroyd, who founded the company in 1935.

He has done school runs in Nidderdale for 60 years and also still farms.

“He’s a local legend. Whenever I say my name is Sophie Murgatroyd people say, ‘Oh, Keith took me to school’ or they took a trip somewhere with him.

“He’s happiest when he’s doing his school run and walking around the farm.”

Keith and Sophie Murgatroyd

Ms Murgatroyd, whose older brother John will take over the business when their dad retires, said her father refused to go to hospital even though he was left “shaken and bleeding”. She added:

“It was my worst nightmare, getting a call like this. He’s a tough old thing. He will be fine physically. I’m not sure what affect it will have on him emotionally and his confidence.

“He’s 80 and he’s given so much and he doesn’t deserve this.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said:

“A man is helping police with enquiries following the incident and the investigation is ongoing. Currently no charges have been brought.”

A spokesman for Esso said the incident happened on a site owned and operated by Euro Garages, an independent retail company, and the staff on site were employed by the site owner.

It said it had “raised the issue directly” with Euro Garages, adding:

“We are sorry to learn of the incident you describe. The current fuel crisis is difficult for all concerned and we ask everyone to treat one another with respect and understanding as we work hard to help resolve the situation.”

A spokesperson for EG Group, which owns Euro Garages, said:

“We are aware of an incident that has taken place at one of our sites. We take issues of colleague and customer safety very seriously and we are looking into this in line with our internal policies and procedures ‒ as a matter of the utmost priority.”

Home to school transport could be under threat if coach companies are not given support to survive the summer.

That is the warning from a Nidderdale operator which took part in a peaceful protest with almost 100 coaches this week.

John Murgatroyd, of long-standing firm Murgatroyd Coach Hire, based near Thruscross reservoir, said the industry has been devastated over the last four months – and there is still no sign of it recovering.

“From mid-March, everything was cancelled throughout our diary to the end of the year. It has been zero income from then until now.”

The family firm usually makes its money from UK and continental holidays and, under current government legislation, could operate on a reduced level with social distancing in place. However, even with demand from their usual passengers, coach companies are struggling to put together holidays. Mr Murgatroyd said:

“Hotels say it’s hardly worth opening with reduced numbers. If we cross the hotels hurdles, there’s nothing open anyway so there’s nothing for people to go to.”

Read more:

• How one Nidderdale school has reopened for all its pupils
• Harrogate travel agents refuse to take holiday bookings
• Why the travel industry has had unfair press in the pandemic

The protest this week saw dozens of operators convene at Lightwater Valley, with some travelling in convoy from the North-East. It was part of a Europe-wide ‘Honk for Hope’ movement aiming to draw attention to the struggles of the coach industry.

Organiser Jenna Rush, of North East Coach Travel, said the theme park outside Ripon was chosen as the meeting point for the 95 coaches because it relies heavily on school visits from across the region, most of which are organised through coach companies. She said:

“I don’t think the coach industry is recognised enough. We bring £7bn a year in for the UK economy, and we support schools and help millions of children with home to school transport.

“Even the airlines, when they cancel or divert a flight, we’re the ones moving passengers around. I don’t think people realise how much we do for the country.”

She said the coach industry needs to make enough money through its busy summer months to survive the quieter winter period. The coronavirus crisis has meant it’s facing an “18-month winter” and many operators may not survive.

Her views were echoed by Mr Murgatroyd, who said when the volcanic ash crisis grounded thousands of flights in 2010, Murgatroyd’s had most of its fleet out in Europe repatriating people who had become stranded. He accused the government of having short memories, being quick to use operators in a crisis but offering no support when the coach industry needs it.

Murgatroyd Coach Travel was founded in 1935 by John Murgatroyd’s grandfather

Mr Murgatroyd added that, if coach operators are unable to get through the summer, school transport may be badly hit in the autumn. The family firm transports children from outlying villages to Nidderdale High School and Harrogate Grammar School, as well as one rural primary.

Along with others in the industry, it has furloughed its staff – but with the government pushing businesses to take on more responsibility for the furlough money from next month, he fears some coach companies will have be forced to make cuts.

“We’re trying to hang on as long as we can. Everybody I speak to – lots of the operators – the majority are small, like us, second or third generation family firms.

“This [protest] stemmed from Germany, where the government is supporting their industry with something like 160m Euros. We want something along those lines. It would allow us to keep going. Anything is better than nothing.”

A spokesman for Lightwater Valley said:

“The coach industry is a vital element to the ongoing success of the park and the loss of groups’ business so far this year, as a result of the lockdown, is a major cause for concern. We would urge the government to look at ways to help support coach companies over the coming weeks and months as, without some sort of financial help, many of them are facing closure.”