A York man faces a £642.40 bill after he failed to pay for a £8.40 train fare.

Jerome Clough, 26, had several chances to pay the York to Selby fare, Kirklees Magistrates Court heard.

But he didn’t take any of them and Northern Trains Ltd prosecuted him for fare dodging.

Clough, of Rowntree Avenue, Clifton, did not attend court or respond to the summons and was found guilty in his absence of fare dodging,

He was fined £440, plus a £44 statutory surcharge and £150 prosecution costs and was ordered to pay £8.40 compensation to the rail company.

The court heard he travelled on a Northern Trains service from York to Selby on August 23 last year.

When he was asked to show his ticket on his arrival at Selby, he did not have one and said he didn’t have the money to pay the £8.40 fare.

He tried paying with a damaged credit card, which was rejected, the court heard.

Northern Trains took his name and address and sent him a letter asking to pay the £8.40, and when they got no response, send him a penalty ticket. He didn’t respond to that either and the company started legal proceedings.