Thanks for your comments. Luckily this is the first (and only) time she's done this and it certainly wasn't with any intent to commit an offence. There are very rarely any ticket attendants or inspectors on our part of the line so she (naively) didn't even think twice about hopping on the train for one stop with no money (she hadn't even originally intended to get the train anyway!). She hates to get in trouble about anything so that's a lesson learned.

Many thanks for your reply , that's certainly put her mind at ease, although she is now fully aware of the error of her ways!

Hello. I've read quite a few threads on here and elsewhere regarding these letters, but I was just wondering about our specific circumstances. My 15 year old daughter went camping one evening in August, and ended up further away from home than she expected (a long walk). She didn't take any money, consequently when she and her friends got the train home (one stop from Goostrey to Holmes Chapel), they were caught by the ticket inspector and their details taken. Now, a couple of months later, she has received a fare evasion letter threatening prosecution, which has worried us both immensely. She has never been in any sort of trouble before and is in the middle of GCSEs so we don't want this hanging over our heads. I am fairly sure that, if she writes to them on the back of the form explaining the circumstances and that she is extremely sorry, and also that we will pay the fare plus costs, she will not be taken to court. However, I'm hoping that someone on this forum could reassure us about this!