A university professor was charged an extra £155 for a train journey - because he got off one stop early.

Prof Martyn Evans was heading back to Durham from Birmingham on a one-way first class ticket, reports The Sun.

But he decided to get off at Darlington to go home rather than return to Durham, where he works in the university's philosophy department.

When he tried to leave the station the ticket machine would not let him out.

He alerted station staff who said his ticket was invalid because he had left the train too early.

They told the academic he could only leave the station if he paid for a ticket from Birmingham to Darlington - at a cost of £155.

He was only allowed to leave after signing a form agreeing to pay it later.

But he refused to pay and said: "It's absolute madness - no one would anticipate you'd be at fault for getting off too early."

Train firm East Coast cancelled the £155 charge after Prof Evans complained but still defended its position.

A spokesman said: "The terms and conditions of the Advanced Purchase First Class ticket clearly state that breaking a journey en route, or starting from an intermediate station, is not permitted."