The British are a compassionate lot, invariably willing to give someone with a hard-luck story the benefit of the doubt.

But if there's one kind of person that we can't abide then it's the individual who thinks that he or she can get away with something for nothing.

The honest citizen has worked for it, paid for it... and yet a certain type of person remains under the illusion that the rules don't apply to them.

That's right. We're talking about scroungers.

This newspaper therefore welcomes Central Trains' impending crackdown on fare dodgers throughout the two counties.

Inspectors will be on hand at stations to check that passengers have a valid ticket.

And from now on, that old chestnut about the ticket office being shut will no longer wash.

Indeed, the inspector won't be saying pull the other one. Instead, it will be a case of a fine that far exceeds what the ticket in question would have cost.

Rail travel these days can sometimes be an uncomfortable business, with overcrowding of carriages and the ever-present problem of late trains.

Therefore, anything that helps to maximise revenue to improve conditions must surely be good for everyone concerned.

Except, of course, for the people who think they can profit by breaking the law. They can't - and today we name and shame a few on page 2.

Something tells us that we're starting to get on the right track at last.