Children dicing with death on railway lines in Castleford

Officers from the British Transport Police (BTP) say a group of children were spotted running on tracks in front of trains near Pauline Terrace on Monday evening.

PC Mark Hibbert, of the BTP, appealed to parents to talk to their children about the dangers of playing on railways.

He added: “We are extremely concerned about the reports we have received from train drivers in the area of children playing chicken on the tracks.

“We have received several reports, including one where a driver had to apply the train’s emergency brakes, narrowly missing a child on the tracks.

“For some reason children seem to be drawn to the railway and they are oblivious to the potential dangers. Time after time we receive reports of youngsters trespassing on the railway, whether to take a shortcut or just out of curiosity.

“Whatever the reason, the potential for serious harm remains and we have seen the tragic consequences with a number of incidents in which young people have lost their lives.”

Anyone who sees children trespassing on the railways should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or via text on 61016.