Thanks Old-CodJA. To be clear, I have already received a letter which is a 'notice of intention to prosecute'. My query is really how much information I should include in response - and whether I should try and reach a settlement with them now, or wait until they take the matter further. Thanks again.

Hi rebel11 Thanks for responding so quickly. As I say the date on the ticket had been almost entirely worn away, along with much of the other text. So yes, I traced over it in pencil. In hindsight probably not a very clever thing to do without double checking the date, and presumably the basis of the allegation. Should I mention this explicitly in my written response?

I have received a letter from First Capital Connect saying that they intend to take me to court for travelling without a valid ticket AND allegedly altering my ticket with intent. My ticket was in very poor condition and approaching its expiry date (so I thought!). The magnetic stripe no longer worked and the print on the front had become smudged and worn out. Glancing at it in my travel wallet I genuinely thought that the expiry date was the 18 March - however FCC staff urged me to look more closely and said they believed that it expire on 10 March. I explained that this was an honest mistake on my part and that I would pay any fare required for my journey that day. However, this offer was not accepted and I was asked to give a statement and told I might receive a letter at a later date. I now plan to write back to FCC to reject the allegations and explain that the age and condition of the ticket meant that I made a reasonable and honest mistake. However, is this going to be enough to avoid a court case? Should I repeat my offer to pay a fine out of court or hold off? Is it worth contacting them by phone at this stage to try and come to a settlement? Any help or advice gratefully received!