Controversial on-the-spot fines for fare dodgers will cease after vandals wrecked machines installed at unmanned railway stations to issue travel permits.

Arriva Trains Northern managing director Dylan Crowther said the trial scheme would end but people caught evading fares would still be prosecuted.

Under the scheme, people who cannot produce a ticket or a permit when asked by a conductor receive warnings and persistent offenders get an instant £10 fine.

The permit machines were introduced at stations where tickets could not be bought.

Mr Crowther said there would still be checks at manned station barriers: "Fare evasion is unfair on the customers who buy their tickets and we will continue to prosecute evaders," he said.

The trial scheme, the first in West Yorkshire, was begun three years ago by Arriva's predecessor, Northern Spirit. It operates on Airedale and Wharfedale services covering Forster Square, Frizinghall, Shipley, Ilkley, Baildon, Ben Rhydding, Bingley, Silsden, Saltaire and Crossflatts.

Arriva says the inherited scheme is expensive and difficult to operate. It plans to end it next month.

Councillor Ann Ozolins (Lib Dem, Idle), chairman of West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority Rail Users Group, said: "This was a highly controversial scheme. These machines have been heavily vandalised and I hope they will be removed because they are attracting people who think they can steal money from them."

Councillor John Prestage (Lab, Keighley South), chairman of Bradford Passenger Consultative Committee, said: "Arriva only have themselves to blame for losing revenue because people have waited in vain for conductors to come up to them on the trains to sell tickets."

He said he often saw people get off trains without paying because conductors had not collected fares.