A train company contractor sent a string of abusive emails to a passenger who had complained about a fine for a failure to pay for a ticket.

One told shocked Thomas Sykes: “Do not insult me or I will cause serious discomfort in your life.”

Thomas, 19, from Heaton Mersey, Stockport, was branded a ‘kn**’ and a ‘w*****’ during a barrage of about 50 emails sent late on Sunday, November 20.

A contractor which operates Northern Rail’s customer services is now investigating.

Thomas, who works in marketing, told the M.E.N: “I think it’s ridiculous that someone can speak to someone like that. It’s not as if I’ve given him cause to threaten me with serious harm. It shocked me.”

Thomas had written to the man about his complaint unaware he had been given the wrong email address of someone with the same name who works for Carillion, the company contracted by the train company to run its customer services.

A Northern Rail spokesman said: “The abusive emails received by Mr Sykes are completely unacceptable and the matter is currently being investigated by Carillion which operates our customer experience centre.”

Thomas had reluctantly paid an £80 fine after he had failed to pay the £3.10 fare for a train journey he took from Burnage to Manchester Piccadilly on June 17.

He says someone at the ticket office at Burnage had told him and other passengers to get on the train and pay on board or they would miss the service.

Thomas tried to pay for the ticket when he arrived at his destination but instead was handed a fixed penalty notice.

The train company denies his claim that other passengers who had come from Burnage were allowed to pay the fare.

Thomas said: “The guy asked me for my age. I told him and he told me I was breaking railway by-laws. But other people who were behind and who had been on the same train were allowed to get a ticket. I was the only person issued with a fine.”

The Northern Rail spokesman said its investigation had found ‘at no stage was he advised by a member of rail staff to board the train without purchasing the correct ticket’.

The company has insisted it had found no evidence anyone other than Thomas had travelled from Burnage without a ticket and insisted those in the queue at Piccadilly allowed to purchase retrospective tickets had come from stations without ticket purchasing facilities.

A Carillion spokesperson said: “Carillion is investigating this issue and would like to apologise for any frustration caused to Mr Sykes. Customers wishing to contact Northern Rail should call our dedicated helpline on 0800 200 6060.”