Southeastern Prosecution – Seeking Settlement Advice

[Manico123]

I recently received a letter from Southeastern’s Prosecutions Department about a fare issue. They are investigating and have invited me to respond before deciding whether to prosecute.

I was caught at London Cannon St by a member of staff where they realised that my London Bridge to London Canon street ticket wasn't scanned in, and asked to see my other ticket, which got me to London Bridge. He took my details and asked me loads of questions when it was found that I was short faring the journey.

This is not a one-time mistake. Over a couple of months, I underpaid for travel on multiple occasions and these journeys are linked to my online account on split my fare and possibly trainline.

I did say to him it was a mistake but he also pressed me to be honest and I did say that I was short on money also.

The total amount involved in my previous journeys is not enormous, but it is not insignificant either ~£200. I deeply regret this and want to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

I am prepared to pay any outstanding fares and administrative costs to avoid this escalating to court. However, I am unsure of how Southeastern typically handles cases like mine.

This is unbelievably stupid of me, I'm reletively new to the UK and I had no idea that even first time offenders risk criminal prosecution. I only found out after I got caught when I started looking into it. If I get a criminal record, I will likely lose my job as it's in finance.

A few questions for those with experience:

1. Does Southeastern offer settlements in cases involving multiple journeys?

2. What’s the best way to phrase my response to increase my chances of an out-of-court settlement?

3. Would it be better to reply via email or post?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Here is the letter I received.

Dear [Recipient],

Southeastern is committed to ensuring all journeys are paid out of fairness to all passengers.

On [Date of Incident], you gave your details and were questioned by a member of rail staff with regard to an incident on Southeastern. Southeastern is reviewing your case and may consider pursuing a prosecution.

We invite you to respond with any comments about the incident. Please complete in full the second page of this letter, attaching any comments, and send it to the above address within 21 days. Please respond to the address or the email given below.

You can also contact the prosecutions team at: Prosecutions.team@southeasternrailway.co.uk

Please be aware that Southeastern uses body-worn video, CCTV, and various software packages to combat fraudulent travel.

You may wish to seek independent legal advice on the information contained in this letter.

Failure to respond to this letter will lead to the matter being progressed without further notification. If we do write to you again, we may seek a contribution to our costs of recovering the amount owed.

Yours sincerely,
[Signature]
Debt Recovery & Prosecutions Manager

 

[JBuchananGB]

There will be experts on here to advise you, but you need to understand you are not a "first time offender". You are a "serial offender" who has been committing criminal activity deliberately and repeatedly for months. Prosecution in the Magistrates Court is appropriate. You need to come over as very contrite and commit to always buying the right tickets in future. The Train Operating Company might offer you an out of court settlement.

 

[Manico123]

There will be experts on here to advise you, but you need to understand you are not a "first time offender". You are a "serial offender" who has been committing criminal activity deliberately and repeatedly for months. Prosecution in the Magistrates Court is appropriate. You need to come over as very contrite and commit to always buying the right tickets in future. The Train Operating Company might offer you an out of court settlement.

Yes, that's true and yeah, it's entirely reasonable to prosecute me. I guess what I meant to say was this is the first time I've been brought to attention to any of the rail companies.

 

[WesternLancer]

I recently received a letter from Southeastern’s Prosecutions Department about a fare issue. They are investigating and have invited me to respond before deciding whether to prosecute.

I was caught at London Cannon St by a member of staff where they realised that my London Bridge to London Canon street ticket wasn't scanned in, and asked to see my other ticket, which got me to London Bridge. He took my details and asked me loads of questions when it was found that I was short faring the journey.

This is not a one-time mistake. Over a couple of months, I underpaid for travel on multiple occasions and these journeys are linked to my online account on split my fare and possibly trainline.

I did say to him it was a mistake but he also pressed me to be honest and I did say that I was short on money also.

The total amount involved in my previous journeys is not enormous, but it is not insignificant either ~£200. I deeply regret this and want to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

I am prepared to pay any outstanding fares and administrative costs to avoid this escalating to court. However, I am unsure of how Southeastern typically handles cases like mine.

This is unbelievably stupid of me, I'm reletively new to the UK and I had no idea that even first time offenders risk criminal prosecution. I only found out after I got caught when I started looking into it. If I get a criminal record, I will likely lose my job as it's in finance.

A few questions for those with experience:

1. Does Southeastern offer settlements in cases involving multiple journeys?

2. What’s the best way to phrase my response to increase my chances of an out-of-court settlement?

3. Would it be better to reply via email or post?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Here is the letter I received.

Dear [Recipient],

Southeastern is committed to ensuring all journeys are paid out of fairness to all passengers.

On [Date of Incident], you gave your details and were questioned by a member of rail staff with regard to an incident on Southeastern. Southeastern is reviewing your case and may consider pursuing a prosecution.

We invite you to respond with any comments about the incident. Please complete in full the second page of this letter, attaching any comments, and send it to the above address within 21 days. Please respond to the address or the email given below.

You can also contact the prosecutions team at: Prosecutions.team@southeasternrailway.co.uk

Please be aware that Southeastern uses body-worn video, CCTV, and various software packages to combat fraudulent travel.

You may wish to seek independent legal advice on the information contained in this letter.

Failure to respond to this letter will lead to the matter being progressed without further notification. If we do write to you again, we may seek a contribution to our costs of recovering the amount owed.

Yours sincerely,
[Signature]
Debt Recovery & Prosecutions Manager

1. Does Southeastern offer settlements in cases involving multiple journeys?

Yes

2. What’s the best way to phrase my response to increase my chances of an out-of-court settlement?

See other threads with general advice on what to say - often posted by @Hadders guiding on a general format, but
You do need to convince them you have learned your lesson, will never do it again if you want to avoid court
You need to offer to pay what you owe them in evaded fares and you need to ask them if they would be prepared to let you settle things without the need for court action.

3. Would it be better to reply via email or post?
Both IMHO - though you can do an e-mail and also print it and send that off - be sure to quote your ref numbers and include your full postal address and name, keep copies of everything. For the hard copy send it from a post office and obtain the 'tracked postage' service so you know it has got there and could prove that if required.

Post a draft of what you intend to send if you want people to check it for you.

 

[Manico123]

Im wondering how do I go about my reply because they haven't brought up the other journeys yet. But it's likely they will find out.

Should I just address the issue I was caught for?

Wondering if I only address the issue I was caught for, and then they find out that there were more journeys, would they go straight to prosecution then or give me another chance to explain that?

 

[AlterEgo]

Im wondering how do I go about my reply because they haven't brought up the other journeys yet. But it's likely they will find out.

Should I just address the issue I was caught for?

Wondering if I only address the issue I was caught for, and then they find out that there were more journeys, would they go straight to prosecution then or give me another chance to explain that?

At this stage you should comment only on the incident where you were stopped. Let them find the other offending; it's not in your interests to mention it at this stage.

 

[Grvrdvicdr]

As you work in finance you may have a contractual obligation to tell them that you are currently under investigation so may be worth checking that otherwise you risk things going south pretty quickly. May speak to a Union about it if you have one

 

[Manico123]

As you work in finance you may have a contractual obligation to tell them that you are currently under investigation so may be worth checking that otherwise you risk things going south pretty quickly. May speak to a Union about it if you have one

I have read my contract, I think the risk is only if I get convicted, that they do random background checks every now and then for audits etc

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

It's a good job you're dealing with Southeastern rather than Transport for London because Southeastern are normally willing to settle these sort of cases out of court whereas TfL would normally prosecute. The sort of things you want to mention in your reply are:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

Southeastern are only asking about the incident where you were caught so there is no need to mention any other invalid journeys you've made at this stage but do be aware that Southeastern will probably search your online ticket purchasing history and might contact you about this in the future.

 

[Manico123]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in response to your letter regarding the incident on [Date of Incident].

On that day, while traveling to London Cannon Street, I presented my ticket to a member of rail staff. Upon inspection, it was found that my ticket did not cover the full journey I had taken. I sincerely regret this mistake and take full responsibility for my actions.

At the time, I did not fully appreciate the importance of ensuring my ticket was valid for the entire journey. I now understand the seriousness of the matter and deeply regret my actions. This experience has been a wake-up call for me, and I assure you that I will never repeat this mistake.

I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to settle this matter without the need for court action. I am willing to pay the outstanding fare, along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred by Southeastern in handling this case.

Please let me know how I can proceed in resolving this issue as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,



I welcome any improvements or suggestions to this letter

 

[alholmes]

I think this letter needs some work - it’s a bit of a non-apology. You knew that it was a short ticket, it didn’t need an inspection to find that out. And it wasn’t a mistake - at best, it was an error of judgment, though others would call it deliberate fare evasion.

Accept that you made a serious error of judgment, make a clear apology, explain that you’ve learnt your lesson, and ask if they would be prepared to offer you an out of court settlement -you’re not in a strong position to tell them what you’re willing to pay.

 

[30907]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in response to your letter regarding the incident on 12 February 2025.

On that day, while traveling to London Cannon Street, I presented my ticket to a member of rail staff. Upon inspection, it was found that my ticket did not cover the full journey I had taken.

No, you knew this full well. "However, my ticket did not cover...."

I sincerely regret this mistake and take full responsibility for my actions.

Mistake? Misjudgement, perhaps, but it was intentional.

At the time, I did not fully appreciate the importance of ensuring my ticket was valid for the entire journey.

Really? You thought cheating the railway was OK?

I now understand the seriousness of the matter and deeply regret my actions. This experience has been a wake-up call for me, and I assure you that I will never repeat this mistake.

See above!

 

[Manico123]

Draft 2

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in response to your letter regarding the incident on [Date of Incident].

On that day, I traveled from Haywards Heath to London Cannon Street with a ticket that did not cover the full journey. I had booked my ticket in a way that left a gap between Gatwick and London Bridge, meaning I did not have a valid fare for that portion of my journey.

I deeply regret my actions and take full and complete responsibility for them. I fully recognize that what I did was wrong, and I sincerely apologize for my poor judgment. At the time, I made a thoughtless decision without fully considering the consequences, and I now understand the seriousness of this matter. This experience has been a wake-up call for me, and I guarantee I will never do this again.

I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to settle this matter without the need for court action. I am willing to pay the outstanding fare and any reasonable administrative costs incurred by Southeastern in handling this case.

Once again, I sincerely apologize for my actions and deeply regret any inconvenience I have caused. Please let me know how I can proceed in resolving this issue as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

 

[alholmes]

Much better - good to go, in my opinion, but you may just want to wait a few hours in case there are any other comments.

 

[Hadders]

The second version of the letter is much better and in my view is good to send.

Please do let us know how you get on.

 

[Manico123]

I sent the email off. They responded saying

"The case is being reviewed, and you will be contacted via post once we conclude our investigation"

Should I still send a hard copy of the email via post also?

Asking because I don't have easy access to a printer so it's a bit inconvenient to do so. Or would just the email suffice?

 

[John R]

No. you have evidence that they have received your email so that is all you need.

 

[Manico123]

Quick question. So I have now been doing this journey Haywards Heath to London Cannon Street paying the full fare over the past number of weeks.

If I build up enough journeys having paid the full fare, would this be a useful thing to point to that I have indeed turned a corner and will not do this anymore after their investigation is completed?

 

[John R]

Quick question. So I have now been doing this journey Haywards Heath to London Cannon Street paying the full fare over the past number of weeks.

If I build up enough journeys having paid the full fare, would this be a useful thing to point to that I have indeed turned a corner and will not do this anymore after their investigation is completed?

I don’t think so. After all, it would be very idiotic to keep on short faring whilst under investigation, so it won’t really change anything.

 

[Manico123]

Should I be concerned that they haven't got back to me yet?

It's coming up to a month now since I sent off the email with no update on my case.

I'm worried they might have lost my email somehow and may think that I haven't responded to their initial letter and proceed straight to prosecution, even though they did respond to my initial email.

Is there any way to verify that they are still investigating and are not waiting for a response from me?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Should I be concerned that they haven't got back to me yet?

It's coming up to a month now since I sent off the email with no update on my case.

I'm worried they might have lost my email somehow and may think that I haven't responded to their initial letter and proceed straight to prosecution, even though they did respond to my initial email.

Is there any way to verify that they are still investigating and are not waiting for a response from me?

Southeastern have been known to mislay incoming correspondence. so it's natural to be concerned that this could have happened to you. But on the basis of your post #16 above (and assuming that there hasn't been a further exchange of correspondence) you have their written confirmation that they received your email. Even given Southeastern's problems, I still think that it's more likely than not that they have your email and are thinking about it. And as further reassurance, when they have ignored someone's email or letter and jumped to prosecution, we've found that an email sent at that point to explain what Southeastern have ignored has invariably led to an out of court settlement being offered.

 

[bimpe]

Hiya,

Please do let me know what they say. I am
In the same situation right now. Just got into this mess today.

Thanks.

 

[AlterEgo]

Please do let me know what they say. I am
In the same situation right now. Just got into this mess today.

Thanks.

Please start your own thread if you need advice. There is a rule here that each person has their own thread so issues don't get confused and no two cases are the same.

 

[Manico123]

It's been nearly 3 months since I contacted them and still no update from them.

Is it normal for them to take this long?

 

[hamm1994]

It's been nearly 3 months since I contacted them and still no update from them.

Is it normal for them to take this long?

that's not normal as they sent me an email within two weeks saying that they are investigating and that they will send correspondence by letter. I got the letter a couple weeks later after that. Maybe you are one of the lucky ones and it slipped through ???

 

[John R]

It's been nearly 3 months since I contacted them and still no update from them.

Is it normal for them to take this long?

It feels unusually long to me. It might be worth getting in touch by forwarding again your original response, say you haven’t seen anything and wonder what is happening.

Others may advise not to chase, but I think the likelihood of them having contacted you and you haven’t seen it is much greater than that they have such a delay that they are going to go outside their six month window to prosecute you.

 

[Manico123]

that's not normal as they sent me an email within two weeks saying that they are investigating and that they will send correspondence by letter. I got the letter a couple weeks later after that. Maybe you are one of the lucky ones and it slipped through ???

I got the letter through post, I responded to the letter and got an email saying they acknowledged my response and will contact me by post.

But I have not gotten an update since. And I've checked the mail every day since.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I got the letter through post, I responded to the letter and got an email saying they acknowledged my response and will contact me by post.

But I have not gotten an update since. And I've checked the mail every day since.

The railway have up to six months from the date of the incident to send the matter to court. So the only practical advice is to wait until the six months have passed. You know (because you got their acknowledgement email) that thye have received your letter. So if the railway choose not to pursue it in time, that's their problem and not yours.

 

[Manico123]

It feels unusually long to me. It might be worth getting in touch by forwarding again your original response, say you haven’t seen anything and wonder what is happening.

Others may advise not to chase, but I think the likelihood of them having contacted you and you haven’t seen it is much greater than that they have such a delay that they are going to go outside their six month window to prosecute you.

Hmm, yeah id be interested in what others say about what I should do.

I got the first letter successfully through mail. It'd be bizzare if they did try to reach out to me again using the same address, postal method and it didn't reach me.

It's rather silly they are using mail as the primary source of communication. Email is so much more reliable and traceable.

Another point is that I didn't actually short fare on any southeastern service, it was thameslink where I actually short fared. But that shouldn't matter because they can still claim the thameslink fares that were short fared.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hmm, yeah id be interested in what others say about what I should do.

I got the first email successfully through mail. It'd be bizzare if they did reach out to me using the same address, postal method and it wouldn't reach me.

It's rather silly they are using mail as the primary source of communication. Email is so much more reliable and traceable.

Another point is that I didn't actually short fare on any southeastern service, it was thameslink where I actually short fared. But that shouldn't matter because they can still claim the thameslink fares that were short fared.

I’d follow it up by asking them about progress. South eastern have got form on this forum for losing people’s replies and then sending cases to court which can be stressful and frustrating to sort out in a time window set by the court. This is best avoided imho.