A father was behind bars today for sending his five-year-old son on a 50-mile train journey by himself.

James Heron was put on the TransPennine train in York by 33-year-old Robert Heron after a weekend visit, arriving in Darlington to find nobody waiting for him, magistrates heard.

Heron, who was living in Yorkshire at the time of the offence, was jailed for four months by Darlington magistrates after he pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a child.

Chris Morrison, prosecuting on behalf of the British Transport Police, said Heron had telephoned Miss Hindhaugh and told her what he was planning to do.

But, he added, she did not believe Heron would go ahead with the plan.

Mr Morrison said Heron, formerly of Pendower Street, Darlington, told police that a friend had agreed to accompany James, but later admitted he had sent his son on the journey alone.

He said: "He travelled unaccompanied between York and Darlington. He arrived in Darlington and there was no one there to meet him."

A woman who had been on the train, alerted staff at the station, who carried out a search for an adult responsible for James. When none could be found, police were called and the boy taken home.

Michael Rayner, defending, said Heron had moved to Yorkshire from Darlington and regularly had James with him for visits.

He said this involved travelling to and from Darlington to collect his son, then making the journey a second time to take him home.Mr Rayner said on this occasion, in October 1997, he felt too ill to make the journey.

"He placed James on the train at York and directed him to get off the train at Darlington," he said. Mr Rayner admitted it was "rather optimistic" to expect a five-year-old to do the journey.

After the sentencing, the boy's mother, who used to live with Heron, said she could never forgive her former partner for putting her son through the ordeal.

Sharon Hindhaugh, 36, of Darlington, said: "You don't think a parent would do that to a bairn." Howard Keal, spokesman for Regional Railways North-East, said: "We would expect any responsible parent to ensure that either they or a close friend or relative accompanied their child on any journey.

"We are just pleased that the youngster was spotted and staff ensured that he was delivered into safe hands without coming to any harm."

Heron was also given a one-month concurrent sentence after he admitted a separate offence of stealing a rucksack on a train on January 21 this year.

Regional Railways North-East and GNER said they had only come across a similar case once.

David Mallender, for GNER, said the company did not encourage children under eight to travel by alone.

He added the company ran a scheme called Kids Go First, which for a £7 supplement to the standard fare, children aged between eight and 15 were met by railway staff at the departing and arriving stations and train staff kept an eye on them during the journey.

Roger Thompson, regional director of the NSPCC, said he was not aware of young children travelling alone being an issue, but added: "Children of a certain age do travel by themselves to visit parents, but five is too young to contemplate it."

He added: "It is incumbent on people responsible for children to provide someone they know to travel with them."

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