Minister urged to fire spin doctor for foul-mouthed rant on rail boss

The Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, was urged yesterday to dismiss the rail network's chief spin doctor after allegations that he had spread alarm and despondency throughout the industry.

The person at the centre of the controversy is Ceri Evans, the right-hand man to Richard Bowker, chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).

Mr Evans, a former senior press officer at Conservative Central Office who transferred his allegiance to New Labour, is accused of launching a foul-mouthed attack on Lord Berkeley of the Rail Freight Group.

In a voicemail message he told Andrew Goodman, the editor of Rail Professional: "I am so fed up with this Tony Berkeley shite that you have printed this month, I honestly, I feel f***ing nauseous and I really want you to call me back about it. He's a f***ing dilettante and I really want you to call me back about it. It is outrageous and I feel really upset."

In a second message Mr Evans complained that the journalist had not called him back and had written to the authority chairman instead. "I was just horrified at the shoddy, scant regard for journalism quality and professionalism that masqueraded behind that farce of an interview with that slightly delusional and deranged individual who chairs the Rail Freight Group."

Mr Evans subsequently attempted to apologise to Lord Berkeley and Mr Bowker sent out an internal e-mail to SRA staff about the "distraction and disturbance" surrounding his spin doctor's voicemail message. Staff were told Mr Evans had apologised for the "tone and style of his remarks whilst explaining their context".

The communications chief's apology did not particularly please the Labour peer who said Mr Evans seemed to use "odd" language for a government servant. "I don't think the apology was really apologising for what he has been doing, it was an apology for being caught. It was not a real apology. My crime as he saw it was to disagree with the SRA."

In a further twist, Lord Berkeley's wife, Julia, was dismissed as head of freight at the SRA immediately after the article appeared in Rail Professional and is taking her case to an employment tribunal.

Mr Bowker and his lieutenant have also recently enraged one of the biggest corporate players in the industry. They took the decision to prevent First Group from bidding for the new enlarged "Greater Anglia" franchise.

Mr Evans said at the time: "They flunked it big time and if the only way they think they can be part of a professional railway is by taking us to a judicial review or whatever that is pathetic. Not only have First Group thrown their toys out of the pram, but they have now got out of the pram and they are scrabbling around on the floor ... they took the eye off the ball and came in with a second-rate submission."

Moir Lockhead, the chief executive of the First Group, was not amused and is expected to take legal action against the decision to exclude the company from the bidding process.

Mick Rix, the general secretary of the train drivers' union, Aslef, said: "Evans has been caught red-handed and should resign or be sacked."