A SWINDON mum has been fined more than £300 for not paying a £1 bus fare after her travelcard failed to work.

Jo-Anne Cahill, 41 who has a flat in Chiswick but lives in Swindon, was found guilty of fare evasion by magistrates, who said it was up to her to ensure her card was working and had enough money on it.

Brent Magistrates Court in north west London heard how Cahill had boarded a number 94 in Chiswick at 7.30am on March 8 last year.

She passed her Oyster travelcard over the electronic reader.

Normally if an Oyster card does not contain enough money the reader sounds a warning.

But Cahill claimed that the machine made no noise and she was not warned that her payment had apparently failed.

Minutes later a ticket inspector confronted her and accused Cahill, who works as a PA in Marble Arch, central London, of not paying the £1 fare.

She was ordered to pay a fine of £165 plus £150 costs.