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The £450 bill for a £5 train fare
Latest news from the Lancashire Evening Post
A train passenger has been landed with a £450 bill – for a nine-minute journey from Preston.
Matthew Houston, 27, was caught without a ticket travelling from Preston to Chorley.
And, although he would have only had to pay £5 for the standard fare, he was fined £450 after he was found guilty in his absence at Chorley Magistrates’ Court.
The total bill included a £300 penalty, £5 compensation, a £15 victim surcharge and £130 costs.
Houston, of Southport Road, Chorley, was one of five rail passengers to be taken to court after an operation carried out by First TransPennine Express in the town.
James Pearson, 26, of Regent Road, Chorley, was also fined £246 for travelling without a ticket.
In total the defendants had to pay more than £2,000 in fines – with one man from Luton being fined £598 for a ticket that would have cost him £53.
Billy Vickers, police liaison officer for First TransPennine Express, said: “FTPE continues to work with other rail operators and the British Transport Police on joint exercises at stations and on board trains in order to bring cases of fare evasion to light.
“We have a mobile team of revenue protection staff dedicated to services running between Manchester Airport and Preston along with barriers at many of our station destinations.
“Choosing to evade a fare, no matter how small is a criminal offence.
“Given that the vast majority of our 25 million passengers a year pay in full it is also a selfish and inconsiderate act.
“FTPE will pursue those that choose not to pay and ultimately when successful prosecutions occur offenders will be subject to penalties in excess of the original fare.”
The rail provider revealed that 130 people had been referred for prosecution from the North West from April 2011 to March 2012.
It also said that the most prolific areas were Preston and Bolton.
A spokesman for British Transport Police said: “We are committed to working with all train operating companies to tackle criminality on the railway.
“As part of this we support our colleagues from the rail industry in challenging those who believe they are entitled to travel without paying the correct fare.
“Fare evasion is a criminal offence and, where appropriate, BTP will take action against those who persist in travelling without payment.”
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Weather for Preston
Sunday 19 May 2013
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Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
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