Railway staff fined children their dinner money after they were unable to buy tickets to get to school.

Pupils arrived at Newhaven station yesterday morning to find the queue for tickets longer than normal and they would have missed their train if they had waited.

They boarded hoping to buy a ticket from the conductor during the journey but he could not sell them one because there were too many children.

The youngsters got off at Lewes, where they attend The Priory School, and explained the situation to a platform assistant.

But each child was charged a £20 penalty fee and had part of their lunch money taken as a down payment.

Jessie Barnard, 12, was made to pay £1 of her £1.50 lunch allowance towards the fine.

He mother, Annette Barnard, said Southern Trains had been heavy handed and has complained.

She said: "Jessie was distraught and I got a phone call from one of the older students telling me what a state she was in.

"I am absolutely disgusted by the way the children have been treated.

"They are all minors and shouldn't have been made to part with their money and what makes it worse is that 70 per cent or more of their lunch money was demanded.

"I can understand there having to be a penalty system for people who are deliberately travelling with no intention of paying but these kids were honest and went straight to find a manager to explain what had happened.

"Southern should have been able to use some discretion in a case like this.

"I am quite proud of the way Jessie behaved. You teach your children that sometimes things don't always go as planned and if they don't, you do what you can to sort it out and this is what she tried to do today."

Mrs Barnard, 37, of Valley Dene, Newhaven, said she was so cross she drove to Lewes to speak to the man who issued the fine.

She added: "He was very rude and arrogant and told me it was his job to issue penalty fines and there was no difference between the way children and adults are treated."

A spokesman for Southern said: "Mrs Barnard has contacted us over the issue and we are in dialogue with her regarding the case".

It was the second time in a couple of weeks Jessie has had trouble catching a train to school.

She was among dozens of students who were not allowed on a replacement bus service during icy weather because adults going to work were being given priority.