Parents Urged To Talk To Kids About Level Crossings After Shocking Footage Released By Network Rail

Parents are being urged to talk to their children about level crossings after Network Rail have noticed a number of incidents of deliberate misuse.

The train company said there have been incidents at the Cotton Mill level crossing between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction.

During nine days of monitoring in 2017, four near misses with trains were recorded and there were over 300 occurences of “deliberate misuse”.

Network Rail released shocking footage of children “risking their lives” on the level crossing. It is hoped that parents who see the footage will speak to their children about level crossing safety before they return to school.

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Inspector Becky Warren from the British Transport Police (BTP), said: “The children in the CCTV are the lucky ones as they were able to leave the crossing unscathed. Sadly there are people who have not been as fortunate, and I have had the heartbreaking job of telling families that their loved one has been killed at crossings or on the tracks.

“Despite our constant warnings about using crossings safely and the dangers of the railway, incredibly some people are still willing to put their lives on the line by ignoring crossing instructions, not looking properly or by trying to dash across crossings when trains are approaching.”

In the last five years there were more than 2,000 incidents involving young people at level crossings. Network Rail has level crossing ‘user guides’ for young people and parents are advised to go through this advice with their children.

Young people are told to stay alert, remove headphones and put their phone away when crossing. They are told to check both ways before crossing, even if they are in a group, and avoid running across rather than waiting for a train to pass.

Children should be reminded to stay alert of the warning lights and any sirens, and always stop to look that no train is approaching before opening a gate.

To find out more information on how to stay safe when using level crossings, visit www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossings.

Before You Go

7 Fun Creative Craft Projects For Toddlers

Make a crown fit for a prince or princess(01 of07)

Wrap bendable card around your child's head, take the measurement and trim off the excess card. Next, cut the card into a crown using a zigzag or get creative and try sticky-up hair or a favourite animal’s head or ears. Now it's your toddler's turn to decorate the card with felt tip pens, paint and glued-on bits of paper. Once they’re done staple the short sides together to create the crown. This is a great craft project for a play date. (credit:Matelly via Getty Images)

Make a car for whacky races(02 of07)

Large cardboard boxes are just begging to be transformed into cars. Glue paper plates to the side as wheels and let your child's imagination roar. They may want to draw in people and make a bus or add windscreens and doors but let them take the driving seat. (credit:patrickheagney via Getty Images)

Make a mask(03 of07)

Make masks with paper plates, hole punched on either side and threaded with elastic to fit your child's head. Your toddler can create whatever face they like using pens, paint, cut up tissue paper for hair and pipe cleaners for whiskers. (credit:igor kisselev, www.close-up.biz via Getty Images)

Make a model with modelling clay(04 of07)

Toddlers love squishing, rolling and moulding play dough with different shaped cutters and their hands. Keep your homemade play dough in a sealed container or mix up a new batch with this super simple recipe: 3 cups of flour; 2 tablespoons of cornflour, 1 cup of salt, 1 cup of cold water and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Your toddler will love mixing up the ingredients. Divide your dough and choose different food colourings. Note: The salt content of homemade play dough is very high - keep an eye on your toddler to make sure they don’t eat any. (credit:Westend61 via Getty Images)

Do some potato printing and finger painting(05 of07)

Halve a few potatoes and cut out shapes of stars, circles, letters or animals (whatever your child asks you to do). Then, dip the cut out potato half into washable, brightly coloured poster paint and it's time for some stamping fun on plain paper. Hand printing is lots of squelchy fun too (and you'll have a lovely record of just how little their hands were). (credit:Michaela Gunter via Getty Images)

Make some binoculars or a telescope(06 of07)

This couldn't be simpler: after your toddler has painted two cardboard tubes the colours of their choice, tape them together for a pair of binoculars. A single longer roll (from your kitchen towel) makes a great pirate's telescope too. (credit:Chris Stein via Getty Images)

Make some silly glasses(07 of07)

Cut out a pair of glasses in plain cardboard. Stick coloured cellophane into the holes as lenses and let your toddler paint them in bright, funky colours. Once the paint is dry, provide a selection of sparkly bits and pieces to decorate: think sequins, buttons, self-adhesive spots, even pasta shapes. Now your toddler is ready for a super-cute photo opportunity. Note: Ensure your toddler is supervised at all times as small objects like sequins and buttons are choking hazards. (credit:Westend61 via Getty Images)