'Not a playground': Children caught trespassing on railway

Three school children have been caught trespassing on train tracks in Aberdeenshire.

The youngsters were spotted on the railway at Inverurie earlier in September, police said.

It sparked a warning from authorities not to treat the tracks as a “playground”, with hundreds of people doing so every year.

Detective sergeant Peter McAndie, of British Transport Police (BTP), said: “The railway has always been a draw for children, but it is an extremely dangerous environment and it’s certainly not a playground.

“We see hundreds of people taking risks on and around the railway every year, resulting in tragic consequences or life-changing injuries. Both of these outcomes are avoidable.

“Normally BTP officers would be visiting schools across the north east of Scotland to meet children face to face and talk to them about how we keep people safe on the railways, and how they can keep themselves safe.

“Due to Covid we are unable to visit schools at the moment. I would strongly urge parents to check where their children are going and remind them of the extreme dangers posed by the railway.”

BTP is running a safety campaign on the issue of railway trespassing with Network Rail, which highlights the potentially devastating consequences it can have.

Mark Henderson, senior community engagement manager at Network Rail, added: “Trespassing on the railway is incredibly dangerous – anyone struck by a train will suffer life-changing injuries or worse.

“We work closely with the British Transport Police and local communities to keep Scotland’s Railway secure and educate our neighbours about the dangers on the railway.”