A special needs student was left stranded miles from home when a railway guard took all her money for failing to buy a ticket.

Toni Buck had no cash left to telephone her mother when the worker took the £2.50 she was carrying to put towards the £10 fine.

The 15-year-old had jumped on a train at Newhaven station at 8.05am to travel to Lewes, where she studies catering two days a week at the Sussex Downs College.

There were no guards on the train to buy a £2.10 return ticket so on arrival at Lewes, Toni went to the ticket office to get one.

But the guard refused to sell her a ticket and slapped the fine on her. When she said she did not have £10, he took all her money and then sent a letter demanding the £7.50 to her mother, Tina Crispe.

Mrs Crispe, 34, of Gibbon Road, Newhaven, said: "She wasn't even left any money to telephone home or for a fare home. Why didn't he leave her with the fare home and let me pay the whole £10?

"I am not complaining about my daughter being fined but the fact he took all her money so she couldn't get home or even call me.

"This was very distressing for my daughter. She may be 15 but she's still my child. How would he feel if that was one of his children?"

Mother-of-three Mrs Crispe, a child carer at a nursery, said her daughter, a pupil at Tideway Community School, Newhaven, travelled to Lewes for vocational training as part of a special needs educational scheme. Toni suffers from severe dyslexia.

Toni went into college and told a staff member what happened and was allowed to make a phone call to ask her mother to collect her.

Mrs Crispe said: "It is upsetting a girl could be left stranded.

"If something is not done, next time a child may not be as lucky."

She wrote to rail operator South Central. Margaret King, of the company's customer services department, replied: "The rail industry has a serious problem with some people who travel with the intention of avoiding payment of the fare.

"Staff are expected to deal with customers in a courteous manner. Your letter has been drawn to the attention of the local manager. He will interview those concerned and give guidance for the future."