I'm no fare e-Vader, says Lord Darth

Darth Vader today declared war on rail inspectors - but fortunately for them he stopped short of using the Force chokehold with which he usually dispatches his enemies.

Instead, the evil Dark Lord of the Sith took to arguing that a row over an unpaid train ticket in the Midlands was a "misunderstanding".

Vader was named and shamed at Telford Central Station on a list of people fined for fare-dodging.

Today it emerged that Vader used to go by the name of Mark Nokes, a 41-year-old Star Wars fan, from Walsall, who changed his name by deed poll to raise cash for charity nearly 10 years ago and has kept the moniker ever since.

But despite the ticket row Vader seems to have put his nefarious days behind him and now works as a doorman outside the Pink Flamingo gay bar in Wolverhampton.

Vader, who lives in Miner Street with wife Sue Vader, said people often looked in disbelief when he told them what his name was and believes it contributed to his run-in with train inspectors.

He said: "It was in March last year, I was working at the Palisades in Birmingham as a security guard and Sue called me to say she was having an asthma attack and needed to go to hospital.

"I just wanted to get home as quickly as possible and when I got to the station the train was in, so I just jumped on it hoping to buy a ticket when I got on there.

"When I told the inspectors my name they thought I was taking the mickey and refused to take my money. I tried to explain it was a medical emergency but they were having none of it. It's ended up costing me more than £300 going through the courts because I refused to pay it."

But despite his brush with the law, Vader said being named after the biggest villain on the silver screen had also provided plenty of laughs. It always raises a chuckle and generally people love it," he said.

"When I got married to Sue three years ago at Walsall Register Office and they asked her if she would take Darth Vader to be her lawful wedded husband it brought the house down.

"I used to work at the Light Bar in Wolverhampton and the students who went there loved it too. I was told there was a Facebook appreciation group with more than 1,000 members. And now the Pink Flamingo is trying to get me to dress up as Darth for a special Star Wars fancy dress night.

"It's great, it's just a pity the train inspectors didn't see the funny side."

Mr Vader was listed with hundreds of other passengers successfully prosecuted by London Midland.

London Midland trains connect London with the Midlands and North West.

By Wayne Beese