Detectives have described how they caught a pair of thieves who left railway bosses with a £178,000 bill.

Christopher Locorriere and Lisa Marchant waited until ticket offices were closed before stealing £3,039 from machines at Moulsecoomb, Falmer, London Road, Burgess Hill and Buxted stations.

Extra security patrols cost £25,000 and the damage to the machines cost about £150,000 between August and October 2008.

British Transport Police officers gathered CCTV footage of the pair using crowbars and other tools to break into the ticket machines and steal cash.

When the offenders, from Moulsecoomb, Brighton, were identified by security guards and arrested at Preston Park station they were carrying tools and a crowbar.

Clothes found at their homes matched the ones they were wearing when they were spotted on camera at the scene of previous crimes.

Locorriere, 40, of Chailey Road and Marchant, 34, of Newick Road, both admitted conspiracy to steal at Lewes Crown Court.

Locorriere was sentenced to 26 months in jail and Marchant to 18 months.