A SEX offender who has a passion for train spotting has been fined by the courts for rail fare dodging.

Kim Rampley is no stranger to the legal system or custody, having breached court orders on dozens of occasions over the years.

The 69-year-old, who is banned from being drunk in Warrington Bus Station, has previously spoken of his hobby of watching trains.

However, he has now been fined hundreds of pounds for failing to show a valid ticket when approached by workers from train Operator Northern.

On January 19 this year, Rampley made a rail journey between Warrington Central and Manchester Victoria railway stations.

Upon arrival in the city, he was requested to produce a valid ticket but was unable to do so. When questioned, he stated that he had bought a Wayfarer ticket but had lost it.

His details were obtained and a letter was sent to the defendant requesting either payment of the £8.90 fare or proof of purchase.

As there was no response, a fixed penalty letter was then sent, however this remains unpaid.

Warrington Guardian:

The defendant was subsequently charged with failing to produce a rail ticket on request and appeared to be sentenced at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on Friday, July 8.

Here, the charge was found to be proven and Rampley, of Grange Avenue in Latchford, was ordered to pay a total of £347.90.

The sex offender was handed sexual offence prevention order in May 2006 at Manchester Crown Court for sexually assaulting a woman, and this was then replaced by an indefinite sexual harm prevention order in June 2015.

He was previously jailed in March this year for 20 weeks after breaching this order after being caught intoxicated in Warrington Bus Station a day before his birthday.

One prior breach saw Rampley jailed for two years in October 2007 after harassing five females – including two 13-year-old girls in their school uniforms – in Warrington ‘within an hour’ of being released from prison.

While serving this sentence, he sent a letter to prison magazine Inside Time complaining about the poor trainspotting opportunities at HMP Walton, also offering a guide on his favourite prisons for this hobby.

More recently, he was jailed for 30 weeks in September last year for another breach in Warrington Bus Station – having drunkenly staggered around the station and soiled himself after being refused entry to a service.