Exclusive: One In Four Admits Fare Dodging

One in four commuters considers fare dodging to be a victimless crime, with nearly as many people admitting to catching a train without paying on at least one occasion.

The results of a Sky Data survey also reveal 51% of people believe train companies are doing a good job.

Some 76% of commuters argue that ticket prices are poor value for money.

The release of the Sky data comes as lawyer Peter Barnett is due to face court in London accused of cheating Chiltern Railways out of more than £23,000.

The Australian-born barrister pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud by false representation last April.

Barnett argues that the true figure of fraud is closer to £10,000.

He is expected to ask a "Newton Hearing" to calculate the cost of his deception with annual leave in mind and based on the amount he would have paid had he purchased weekly season tickets.

But the prosecution say the established method is to calculate the loss based on a full single or return fare.

To investigate the issue of fare dodging, Sky News was granted exclusive access to Operation Bond, a day of action led by London Midland trains and supported by the British Transport Police.

Inspectors in the West Midlands and Birmingham wore body cameras to capture a first-person view of fare dodgers in action.

One of the most common reasons given for riding the train without paying was that people were running late and would have missed their trains if they bought a ticket.

Others were clearly dishonest. One female commuter dodged a £3 ticket because she said she couldn't afford to pay.

When challenged, she tried to get out of trouble by lying to inspectors about her age.

Later, Inspector "Steve" told me the 18-year-old passenger was clearly "trying it on".

He used his discretion and issued a £20 penalty fare - which was described to me as a "more expensive ticket" for travelling without one.

The average fare in the West Midlands is just £2.01.

One passenger who received a penalty fare for travelling without a valid ticket told me: "To be really candid, £20 for me is neither here nor there.

"For a lot of travellers today who rely on public transport - who may have a view that it’s too expensive anyway - £20 is an expensive way to teach people a lesson."

But it's a lesson Francis Thomas from London Midland trains says people need to learn.

"There are only two ways of funding the railway. It’s either through the fare box or from the public purse," he said.

"So if you're travelling without a ticket, you're robbing from one or the other, and probably both."

London Midland argues its not seeking to punish people who have made a genuine mistake.

Some 90% of people escape prosecution. Most are issued with penalty fares, which is a civil matter between the passenger and the train company.

:: Sky Data interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Sky customers online 18-20 September 2015. Data weighted to the profile of the population. For full Sky Data tables, click here .