A YORK rugby fan is to report a travel agency to her national supporters club after she won a court case against it.

Lawries Travel Agency Ltd misled Tanya Walker over the price of her trip to Paris to see Scotland v France in February 2003, York magistrates decided.

Neil Cameron, for York Trading Standards, told them the firm's brochure quoted £575 for the four-night stay in Paris, including flights, but actually charged her £860. When she complained, the firm said the £285 increase was a singles supplement. But, said Mr Cameron, the brochure did not mention the supplement.

The agency now faces a £3,945 court bill, including reimbursing lifetime Scottish fan Miss Walker, from Haxby, who paid the extra so she could get to the match. Company witness and group co-ordinator's assistant June Crichton said the supplement warning was on other pages of the brochure, but conceded it was not on the Paris trip page.

The company, of Leith Walk, Edinburgh, denied giving a misleading price, but was convicted after a trial. Magistrates fined it £1,000, and ordered £285 compensation to Miss Walker, plus £2,660 prosecution costs.

"I am very pleased," Miss Walker said after the case.

"I thought it was money I should not have had to pay out in the first place. I will now write to the Scottish Rugby Supporters Club. I want the club to see this verdict of the court today."

Mr Cameron told magistrates the agency had connections to the Scottish team's official rugby club and organised packages for supporters to wherever it was playing.

Former majority shareholder and retired director Bob Robertson, who represented the agency in court, said afterwards: "I thought we had a fair hearing." He disputed the verdict, but said the company would take legal advice before deciding whether to appeal.

He had told the court the company expected to make a loss this year because airlines were no longer paying it. The agency had not acted maliciously and had not intended to hurt anyone. It had no previous convictions in 50 years of trading.

Updated: 09:23 Saturday, May 08, 2004