6:14pm Friday 5th September 2008
By Ben Parsons, Crime Reporter
Dozens of railway station ticket machines have been targeted by organised thieves.
Detectives are trawling CCTV footage to find the criminals after stations across Sussex and the South East were hit by theft and vandalism.
Commuters and other rail passengers have faced queues for manned ticket booths because of damage to the automatic vending machines.
British Transport Police CID teams are investigating ways to tackle the crimes, which are being treated as an organised attempt to steal thousands of pounds in cash from rail companies.
The latest spate took place between Thursday night and yesterday morning (Fri).
One 45-year-old commuter told The Argus the damage had caused queues for passengers at stations between Brighton and London Victoria line.
He said: "On Monday morning both ticket machines on the platforms at Burgess Hill station were out of action.
"The doors of the machine had been wrenched open and were hanging off their hinges.
"On Tuesday there was proper police crime scene tape around the machines.
"A member of staff told me it was a problem up and down the line."
A spokesman for railway company Southern said yesterday: "Southern has suffered a spate of thefts from ticket machines on the south coast recently, the latest being a clutch of machines last night.
"We are working very closely with the British Transport Police and are supporting them in every way we can.
"We have released CCTV footage of the thefts to them which they are currently reviewing."
It is understood that British Transport Police detectives in Sussex and surrounding areas are investigating as many as 60 crimes.
Officers believe organised groups are responsible for the damage and thefts. They have not released details of the amount of money taken by the thieves.
Where people have been arrested for similar crimes in the south police have sought to persuade magistrates to impose anti-social behaviour orders banning the culprits from the rail network as well as prison sentences.
A spokeswoman for British Transport Police said: "We can confirm there has been a series of thefts from ticket vending machines from Southern railway stations.
"We are currently reviewing CCTV and investigations are continuing."
Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to call British Transport Police on 0800 405040 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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