A COMMUTER threatened with arrest for standing in a first-class carriage with a second-class ticket must pay a fine.

Nichola Myhill appealed against the £69 penalty fare, but it was upheld by the Independent Appeals Service and she must pay by Friday.

Packed carriages gave her and two other passengers no choice but to stand in first class if they wanted to board the train heading back to Colchester on April 10.

Miss Myhill, who travels to work in London from Fingringhoe every day, said she was "made to feel like a criminal" and only gave her details to ticket inspectors after being threatened with arrest.

Yesterday a letter arrived confirming that she must pay the fine.

A friend of Miss Myhill, who is on holiday, said: "Rules are rules is the response from the appeal, and she must pay up.

"I've been in touch with her and she said she's got no alternative, as it's not worth going to court and ruining her credit rating over.

"But being very reluctant to pay would be the polite way to describe her reaction.

"She has highlighted the problems of overcrowding on trains and how much commuters have to pay for such a poor service."