Greater Anglia has prosecuted 48 people for fare-dodging on the main line to London – with magistrates in Ipswich ordering them to pay more than £15,000 in fines and costs.

The fare-dodgers were prosecuted by the rail company and their cases were heard in court on January 23 and February 5. They covered journeys made on the Great Eastern Main Line from stations in Suffolk and Essex.

As well as those taken to the court the company also issues between 4,000 and 6,000 penalty fares a month to people who are travelling without the correct ticket for their journey.

Andrew Goodrum from Greater Anglia said: “Money from tickets is invested in the railway. People refusing to pay for tickets could result in ticket prices going up.

“Our ticket inspectors regularly patrol our trains. At the end of the day, it’s much cheaper to buy a ticket than to end up in court with a fine and order to pay costs.”