Three young children spotted dicing with death near railway tracks has prompted British Transport Police to reissue a stern warning about the dangers of playing near the railway.
The children were captured on CCTV trespassing on the railway at Eden Viaduct in Carlisle over three days, Friday, April 22; Sunday, April 24 and on Sunday May 1.
More worrying is the fact that trains travel through the area at up to 90mph and playing there could result in death or horrific injury.
Officers are now calling on parents and schools to do their bit to get the message across that playing near railway lines is dicing with death.
Sgt Garry Ashbridge said, “The fact is that given the speeds these trains are travelling, drivers cannot stop in time to avoid someone on the line. Sadly we have seen far too many instances of children who thought they were just indulging in some harmless fun being struck by trains.
“To have to visit the home of that child and break the news to their family is beyond devastating.”
The high definition images were picked up by new motion sensor cameras fitted in the area which record moving footage any time a movement is detected.
The resulting images have shocked officers who are distributing it to schools in the area in a bid to identify the children.
Sgt Ashbridge added, “The age of these children is astonishing – I fear one of them may even be around 5 years old. I urge their older playmates or friends to lead by example and not encourage them to risk their lives by following them onto the railway. Hanging around near railways tracks is simply just not worth the risk.
“I’m confident that the parents of these children had no idea they were literally putting their lives on the line and we would urge all parents and guardians to be aware of where their children are going when they’re out of sight.
“Just recently two children, aged 6 and 9 were found by our officers playing near the railway at Kingmoor. We took them in the car to their homes and explained the dangers to them before having to explain to their parents why they were being returned home in a police car. Neither set of parents realized this was where their children had been and were grateful that they had been brought home safely.”
British Transport Police continue to work with schools to engage with children and young people about the dangers of the railway and regular visits have in the past seen a reduction in the number of incidents.
However as the school holidays approach officers are keen to reinforce the message that any thrill of playing near the railway is quickly diminished by the fact you could be killed in an instant.”
A Network Rail spokesman said, “Not only is trespassing on the railway dangerous for the trespassers, it also puts the safety of others at risk. Additionally, trespass almost inevitably causes delays to rail services which can have a knock on to other wider network and major disruption for passengers.
“The cost to society and the tax payer of this can be huge and we urge everybody to behave responsibly and be vigilant in identifying and reporting trespass.”
