My teenage daughter received a letter yesterday (8th May) notifying her of an intention to proscecute.
The Details of Offence are "entering a train for the purpose of travelling without a ticket entitling travel"
Brief details:
1. Bought a ticket to travel Cambridge to Hatfield, 26th April from Cambridge Station ticket office.
2. Death on line at Shepreth (26th April) delayed all trains via Stevenage, including her intended train - chaos on Cambridge Station.
3. Was directed by member of platform staff to alternate, later train, which she believed she caught correctly.
4. Train did not stop at Hatfield, an error she realised when arriving in Finsbury Park, where she alighted.
5. Tried to cross to another platform at Finsbury Park in order to return to Hatfield.
6. This required exit through a barrier, which her ticket naturally did not allow.
7. Revenue Protection Inspector responded to her enquiry about what she should do to get back to Hatfield by confiscating her ticket (presumably in evidence) and issuing a permit to travel to Hatfield.
8. No offer of 'payment of excess fare' at Finsbury Park. No questions asked at Hatfield.
9. Nothing further heard until 'Notice of Intention to Prosecute' arrived yesterday, which was dated Friday 4th, giving her 7 days to respond (ie. by tomorrow 10th May (weekend and Bank Holiday delayed delivery of letter).
Fortunately she still has her ticket receipt for the Cambridge to Hatfield journey and for the return journey, though not the ticket iteself (taken off her).
Could anyone offer advice - this seems quite harsh to me. Genuine error in catching wrong train (if not even advised by Cambridge Station staff).
In terms of the offence - surely she did not enter a train without a ticket. More that she got on the wrong one.
Thanks for the advice - need to respond to First Capital Connect before tomorrow!
Cheers
The Details of Offence are "entering a train for the purpose of travelling without a ticket entitling travel"
Brief details:
1. Bought a ticket to travel Cambridge to Hatfield, 26th April from Cambridge Station ticket office.
2. Death on line at Shepreth (26th April) delayed all trains via Stevenage, including her intended train - chaos on Cambridge Station.
3. Was directed by member of platform staff to alternate, later train, which she believed she caught correctly.
4. Train did not stop at Hatfield, an error she realised when arriving in Finsbury Park, where she alighted.
5. Tried to cross to another platform at Finsbury Park in order to return to Hatfield.
6. This required exit through a barrier, which her ticket naturally did not allow.
7. Revenue Protection Inspector responded to her enquiry about what she should do to get back to Hatfield by confiscating her ticket (presumably in evidence) and issuing a permit to travel to Hatfield.
8. No offer of 'payment of excess fare' at Finsbury Park. No questions asked at Hatfield.
9. Nothing further heard until 'Notice of Intention to Prosecute' arrived yesterday, which was dated Friday 4th, giving her 7 days to respond (ie. by tomorrow 10th May (weekend and Bank Holiday delayed delivery of letter).
Fortunately she still has her ticket receipt for the Cambridge to Hatfield journey and for the return journey, though not the ticket iteself (taken off her).
Could anyone offer advice - this seems quite harsh to me. Genuine error in catching wrong train (if not even advised by Cambridge Station staff).
In terms of the offence - surely she did not enter a train without a ticket. More that she got on the wrong one.
Thanks for the advice - need to respond to First Capital Connect before tomorrow!
Cheers