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Crackdown on area’s rail trespassers – Video and pictures of people risking their lives

Police would like to identify the man pictured in the attached images (http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/crackdown-huddersfield-rail-trespassers—5315742) after he was caught on camera trespassing on the tracks near Horbury signal box in Wakefield at around 1.15pm on Tuesday 9 July

A young man, out in the sun shine.

But this bare-chested individual was doing more than soaking up the sun.

He was literally dicing with death – crossing the busy Huddersfield to Wakefield rail line in front of a speeding train.

Photos of the incident near Horbury have been released by British Transport Police in a bid to warn people of the dangers.

The incident happened at 1.15pm on July 9 and is just one of many incidents police are investigating.

Others include:

July 17, 8.40pm – Four kids playing inside entrance to Gledholt Tunnel, Huddersfield

July 16 – Three kids playing on line at Halifax railway station

July 10 – Three children playing in railway arch at Springfield, Leeds

July 10 – Boy about 14 lying on tracks in Darlington, watched by two other children

The school summer holidays are here and British Transport Police are urging parents to make sure they know where their children are, to ensure they know about the dangers posed by the railway and to reinforce the police message to “stay off the tracks.”

Sadly during school holidays, and with the onset of warmer weather and longer nights, BTP often see a rise in children and young people trespassing on the tracks in the summer, and officers are worried that someone will get seriously injured or killed.

They are stepping up patrols across the rail network during the summer holidays to deter children and young people from trespassing on the tracks and to catch anyone in the act.

They also plan to crack down on ‘route crime’ offences such as stone-throwing, putting obstructions in front of trains, trespassing and line-side vandalism.

CCTV will also be monitored at stations and throughout the rail network.

Chief Insp Derek O’Mara said:

“During the holidays we traditionally see an increase in offences on the railway. We are hoping that by targeting hot spot areas and through the education work we have already done, we will reduce the number of incidents this summer and deter the majority of youngsters from playing of hanging around on the railways.

 

“This is not about stopping children having fun – it is about keeping them safe from harm. BTP officers are all too often called to incidents where youngsters have been injured and in some cases killed because they were messing about on or near the railway and we do not want to have to tell any family that their son or daughter will not be coming home”.

 

He added: “Trains can approach quietly and, if you are trespassing, often when you do hear an approaching train it can be too late to move out of the way.

 

“Also, unlike cars, trains cannot swerve to avoid people or items in their path and it can take up to the length of 20 football pitches for a train to stop.

 

“The message is simple: stop causing trouble, stay safe and stay off the tracks.”