Police and security yesterday blockaded a Yorkshire railway station to prevent over 100 pensioners and disabled people boarding a train ticketless to protest discontinued concessionary fares.

Public transport bosses in South Yorkshire are axing concessionary fares for elderly and disabled people in a bid to save £300,000 because of government cuts.

And for the last four weeks the protesters have boarded a train at Barnsley to travel to Sheffield, refusing to pay their fares or buy tickets.

But at yesterday’s fifth protest British Transport Police (BTP) and security guards from Northern Rail barred the entrance to the south-bound platform.

After a half-hour stand-off the protesters outsmarted police by transferring to another platform and boarding a train while police were left stranded on the wrong side of the tracks.

Supporters of the Freedom Ride said the scene was reminiscent of a Keystone Cops movie.

The protesters staged a stand-off rally. Among those to address it were train drivers’ union Aslef vice-president Tosh McDonald and Yorkshire Pensioners Convention secretary Paul Russell.

“They get off at Meadowhall in Sheffield and stage a rally, then travel back,” said Unite Community northern regional organiser Joe Rollin.

“The protesters staged a rally, then they outsmarted police by disappearing and emerging on the platform opposite, boarding a train and heading north instead of south.

“It was hilarious. They got off at Penistone and staged another rally.”

Mr McDonald said: “Aslef will continue to support these protests. The £300,000 they are trying to save by cutting concessionary travel is a pittance. All that will happen is that trains will be rattling around empty.

“They’ll still have to have the same staff and use the same amount of diesel.”

Mr Russell added: “We have got to fight and resist these cuts across the country.”

The campaign is backed by Aslef, Unite and the bakery workers’ union BFAWU.