A GANG of South West Trains employees fleeced the company out of thousands of pounds by selling rail tickets on the black market.

Guards Gregory Akinyode, 40, and Ishola Gbadedo, 42, used stolen and cloned credit cards to buy full price tickets from issuing machines, a court heard.

The pair then sold them on cut-price in pubs.

They were working for South West Trains, which operates out of Waterloo station across south west London and Surrey, at the time of the scam between November 29, 2004 and September 7, 2005.

Akinyode, of Mottisfont Road, Abbey Wood, and Gbadedo, of Avenue Road, Erith, admitted conspiracy to defraud the company by issuing rail tickets using compromised bank cards.

Nena Dappah, a 30-year-old ticket office worker who lived at Rycroft Road, Lewisham, is wanted by the authorities after allegedly fleeing to Ghana.

It is believed up to seven fraudsters were involved in the operation, some of whom have not yet been identified by police.

It is thought Akinyode made £12,777 from the total loss to South West Trains of £22,527.

Judge John Price adjourned sentencing Akinyode and Gbadedo until August 10 at Southwark Crown Court.