Girl, 14, handed £100 fine by train inspectors who accused her of lying about age

• Leila Sanger was stopped by guards on May 25 as she changed trains at Strood
• The Southeastern Railway inspectors also reportedly went through her texts

Train ticket inspectors gave a 14-year-old girl a £100 fine after they accused her of being an adult despite her wearing school uniform at the time.

Leila Sanger said she was left in tears after being accused by two male train guards working for Southeastern Railways of lying about her age in order to travel using a child’s ticket.

The teenager, who attends school in Gravesend, Kent, was stopped on May 25 as she changed trains at Strood to get to her home in nearby Snodland.

Although she was dressed in her full school uniform, had a student lanyard round her neck and was carrying her Southeastern ID card, Miss Sanger was handed a fine of just over £104 as the inspectors believed she was not entitled to a child’s fare.

She now says she is scared to go back to the station as she fears she will see the same two ticket inspectors again. 

The 14-year-old’s mother Naomi Sanger, 43, a project manager, said: ‘She was in school uniform and was wearing a student lanyard and possessed a Southeastern ID card.

‘Two male officers told her she was a liar, issued her with a £104.40 penalty charge notice and then proceeded to demand to go through her mobile phone to contact me.

‘She tried calling me, but I couldn’t answer as I was in a meeting. So instead they scrolled through her phone looking at her messages – invading her privacy.

‘They were gas-lighting her, stating that she had said she was 15 previously, which she hadn’t. She was shaken up and in tears when she came home.’

The next day, Leila would not use the train to go to school and Mrs Sanger said she had to take time off work to take her to and from school.

After complaining to the rail operator, the fine was cancelled – however, the mother has said she has received no apology for the way her daughter was treated or assurance that the inspectors would not behave in a same way again

She added: ‘Leila does look older than her age, a lot of girls do these days. But there is a way of asking her age, and even issuing a fine if they still didn’t believe her, that does not involve this level of intimidation.

‘Leila was wearing school ID that said she was in Year 9, which should have told them she was only 13 or 14. Now she’s been left afraid to travel by train and I’m not sure how I will get her to school now.’

Siobhan Bradshaw, the general manager for enforcement at Southeastern, suggested a school lanyard and Southeastern ID card was insufficient proof of age for a child ticket.

She said: ‘We can confirm a penalty fare was cancelled, but we do not routinely comment on ongoing investigations.

‘We do expect colleagues to be professional and courteous at all times. But we also believe it’s reasonable to ask for proof of age if a younger customer looks older than 15 and asks for a child fare.

‘On occasions when they’re unable to provide this, they may be liable to pay the adult fare.

‘To avoid any unnecessary confusion, we’d recommend carrying an official proof of age such as a Citizen Card or a Validate UK Card.’