Passenger jailed over £1,600 train travel fraud

A woman has been jailed for defrauding train companies out of more than £1,600 on journeys to and from the North East.

Caroline Elstob, 51, travelled extensively on trains between Newcastle and Edinburgh, York and Leeds and local stations over a seven-month period.

Suspicions were raised about her frequent journeys, and and ended up being arrested by British Transport Police.

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This week, she was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting fraudulently obtaining train travel, and breach of a community behaviour order.

She was jailed for 15 months after the court heard she made 31 journeys fraudulently between September 2015 and March this year.

Elstob, of Westmorland Road, Newcastle, defrauded four different train companies out of a total of £1,615.70.

After the sentencing, Sergeant Nigel Ashworth from British Transport Police said: “Elstob travelled regularly and extensively using her knowledge of credit card and electronic payment systems to commit numerous fraudulent offences.

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“Suspicions were raised around her frequent journeys. After working closely in partnership with the train-operating companies, we identified that she was committing fraud and launched an investigation which has brought her before the courts today.

“We hope this sends a clear message to anyone thinking of attempting to travel fraudulently on the rail network in future.”