A teenager has been fined £20 for being four pence short of a train fare.

A group of other teenagers offered to pay the missing four pence for him at Ashford International station – but a ticket inspector refused and issued a fine instead.

Fifteen-year-old Jamie Faulkner, of Great Chart, arrived in Ashford alone, late on the evening of Friday, July 4.

He says he had been unable to buy a ticket for the journey from Headcorn, where he boarded the train, as the ticket office there was shut. And, he says being four pence short meant he could not use the machine at Headcorn.

When he arrived at Ashford International at 10.20pm, the teenager went to the exit barrier and offered to hand over all the money he had to pay for a ticket, but the inspector refused.

Five slightly older youths tried to help him by paying the missing four pence, but he still got a fine.

Jamie’s mother Angela Faulkner said: “I’m so annoyed.

“It’s such a worry that someone is quibbling over four pence, especially at a time when you hear stories in the news about arguments which end in stabbings.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous and I’m going to refuse to pay the £20 fine out of principle.”

Nigel Jarrett, spokesman for Southeastern trains, said: “Although the ticket office at Headcorn closes at 19.20 on a Friday evening, ticket vending machines are available there for customer use.

“It is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure they have a valid ticket for their journey, and there are clear warnings on trains and at stations that failure to do so may result in them being given a £20 penalty fare notice.”

The family plans to appeal against the fine.