A WARNING has been issued to rowdy and drunken revellers that they will not be allowed on trains returning to Teesside from York if they are deemed too intoxicated.

British Transport Police (BTP) have joined forces with security and railway revenue protection staff to crackdown on those who are persistently travelling without valid tickets or are heavily under the influence of alcohol.

Train operators have identified an increase in the number of people particularly from the Teesside area - mainly Middlesbrough, Thornaby and Yarm - who head to York on Saturday afternoon, then travel back home without tickets on a number of services, often heavily drunk.

Sergeant Tanya Rickard, of the BTP, said: “We are continuing to crackdown on ticketless travel and the consumption of alcohol at the station and on the trains out of York, but we are also now focusing on identifying and ascertaining if passengers are fit to travel, and not drunk and disorderly.

“Too often we are seeing extremely intoxicated people travelling on service between York and Middlesbrough on a Saturday evening causing problems and putting themselves, members of the public, rail staff and officers at risk.

“Allowing extremely drunk people to travel is a recipe for disaster. If passengers are turning up at the station attempting to travel in this state, officers and rail staff will not allow them to travel and they will be asked to leave the station and travel by other means.”