Thank you both for the responses - I have looked at the conditions in the past so I thought that I knew the rules of their use. I have never come across anything about the boxes being over-written when you put the wrong date down - I openly showed it to the virgin train crew and gate staff. Re paying the fare - I was actually on a Virgin train when I put the wrong date down not an EMT train - so not sure what would happen re paying the money to the right people. I have been told that I still need to be prosecuted by ATOC and all cases have to go to BT Police for prosecution. - can't afford a lawyer and if I can't prove my innocence in not intending to defraud the railways ( which I never did intend - I only need my pass for 4-5 trips a year), I also lose my job - I work in a position of advanced trust and honesty and even a level 3 penalty is dismissable in my role. My partner told me to hold on to my pass as not issued within the group that employs him - I do believe he thought he was giving the right advice and even explained his advice to the EMT train manager - who is also apparently an RPO?? I wasn't told that at the time and neither was my partner. Any other comments welcome Thanx again btw

Dear All Urgent advice needed as I can't afford a solicitor. I was stopped on an East Midlands Train in December using a correctly filled in ATOC staff pass - but the train manager told me that I was using my card fraudulently on the previous trips - I used box one coming back from Scotland and it appears that I either wrote a 2 or a Q in the box or the box moved when filling it in - I honestly can't remember. I was travelling back on the 4.9.11 - so that 24 would make no sense in box one. In box 2 - I openly admit I wrote the wrong date and clearly and quite blatantly wrote over the 26 for the 27 - which was the correct date - on the trip, I also showed it to the guard on 2 trains and the gate staff at Euston and no-one had an issue as I clearly said I over-wrote the wrong date and showed all the staff. EMT letter said that I am breaching section 20 (1) of the bylaws because they say that, 1. In that you did alter a ticket with the intent that the Operator or any other railway Operator be defrauded or prejudiced. I just got the letter last night - so has ruined my last Christmas with my mum and I am also still annoyed with the train manager telling me at the time that he was treating me very fairly, despite him telling me 10 times in the 40 minutes of questioning on the train that he wasn't going to tackle me to the ground and force the ticket off my person - I was advised by my partner who is the train driver not to give him the ticket. I have had my staff pass for one year and was never told that if I muck up a box, I have to score through it and write a new one out, and thus lose, one of my free day time travels. Any help would be very grateful. I am worried and feel like a criminal now