From the
BTP▸ press release:
DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN? TRANSPORT POLICE APPEAL FOR INFORMATION OVER FRAUD ^ SOUTH WEST
British Transport Police (BTP) officers investigating an offence of fraud have today issued CCTV▸ images of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident.
Officers believe the man in these photographs will have information which can assist their investigation into the incident which took place on Monday 10 January 2011.
Sgt Scott McKechnie, investigating officer, said a hitchhiker claiming to be from the Royal Navy, duped a motorist into buying a train ticket and handing over cash to help him get back to his ^temporary training base^ in Cornwall.
^The hitchhiker, who had a homemade sign saying Royal Navy, was given a lift by a Good Samaritan motorist on the slip road at Junction 16 of the M4 motorway near Swindon,^ said Sgt McKechnie.
^He told the motorist that his luggage, phone and other belongings had been stolen from a train station in Newcastle and he was trying to get to his temporary training base at Helston in Cornwall. The motorist drove the man to Bristol Temple Meads railway station, bought him a train ticket to Taunton and give him ^40 so he could complete his journey to Cornwall.
^The hitchhiker provided details saying that he was a Royal Marine and a service number which have proved to be false and BTP has no record of the alleged luggage theft in Newcastle, so we are treating this matter as fraud.
^It is unclear exactly where this man is from or where he was trying to get to, although what we do know is he was picked up in Wiltshire, was bought a train ticket from Bristol to Taunton, and claimed to be a Marine based temporarily in Cornwall.
^I would urge anyone who recognises the man in these photographs to contact BTP as we believe he will have information which can assist us.^
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