TRAIN commuters from Westbury are paying nearly £2,000 a year more for season tickets because First Great Western is trying to block people from using a cheaper loophole.

Ged Norton commutes from Westbury to Reading every day, and if he buys a direct ticket, it costs £4,264 a year.

But he recently discovered that if he bought a 'split' ticket, from Westbury to Reading via Pewsey, his season ticket cost just £1,942.

Mr Norton said: "People from Westbury are being singled out and are being ripped off to the tune of £2,000 a year.

"First Great Western are fully aware of the difference in cost, but they have told staff on their trains not to sell split tickets, which is ridiculous.

"For some reason it is also cheaper to buy a season ticket from Castle Cary to Reading, than it is from Westbury.

"Castle Cary is further away so it should be more expensive."

Mr Norton has been commut-ing from Westbury for three years, and is angry that he wasted enough money to take his family on holiday in the past before he discovered the split ticket loophole in January.

Westbury is a popular base for commuters, since it has direct trains to Reading and Paddington during the morning and evening rush hour.

Richard Green of First Great Western said: "We are monitoring the demand for through tickets from Westbury. And this forms part of our ongoing commercial analysis.

"I suspect that the main issue here is the lack of a cheaper through tickets from Westbury, along the lines of the Castle Cary product.

"We have recognised this anomaly and I assure you we will be looking at future options to introduce a through ticket via this specific route, at a reduced rate."