Police catch 11 passengers using fake tickets at Stratford station

Fourteen people were arrested in three hours at Stratford station last week as part of a police operation to stamp out fake tickets on buses and trains.

Officers from British Transport Police (BTP), the Met’s Safer Transport Command, Greater Anglia, and Transport for London (TfL) were checking passengers tickets outside the train and bus stations on Wednesday morning.

During the operation, which ran from 6.30am to 9.30am, 14 people were arrested including 11 passengers found trying to use fake tickets or travel cards.

One person was arrested for travel fraud, another was arrested for immigration offences, and a further arrest was made for being wanted on warrant for a previous offence.

According to BTP Pc Karl Jones, who led the operation, train companies have been reporting a noticeable increase in counterfeit tickets being used across London’s rail network over the past few months.

Siwan Hayward, acting director of Community Safety, Enforcement, and Policing for TfL, said: “We take all forms of fraud very seriously, the positive results of this operation clearly demonstrate how we are working with our policing partners to tackle fraud across the transport network.”

A Greater Anglia spokesperson said: “We are working closely with the police and TfL to reduce fraudulent travel, for the benefit of the vast majority of our customers, who do pay their fares.”