A barrister who avoided paying for his train ticket between Thame and London for more than two years could be the biggest fare-dodger to be prosecuted in the UK, a court has heard.

Peter Barnett, 43, is said to have caused Chiltern Railways a loss of £23,000 by pretending to have only travelled from Wembley to London Marylebone.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard last Friday Barnett argue he had only dodged up to £9,714.40 because the amount lost should be based on the cost of a weekly ticket, and take into account annual leave.

But Malachy Pakenham, prosecuting, said: "If it is accepted that the loss was £23,000, this defendant would be convicted of the biggest rail evasion case that has come to the court in the UK.

"The Crown has reached that figure by a number of rail staff calculating it."

Barnett, of Whittle Road, Thame, admits six counts of fraud by false representation between April 2012 and November last year.

He was caught when stopped by a ticket inspector at Marylebone when he claimed to have travelled from Wembley instead of Haddenham & Thame Parkway.

Barnett ran off when a member of station staff became suspicious about his story and called a supervisor, but later handed himself in.

During an interview with British Transport Police he confessed that he had been carrying out the scam since April 2012.

The case was adjourned until July 27 so that a hearing can be held to determine the loss caused to Chiltern Railways.

Barnett was released on unconditional bail.