Children flirting with death on railway

The PSNI in Coleraine say they are extremely concerned by reports that two children aged around nine, gained access to a railway track close to the Cemetery Crossing at Portrush Road in Coleraine.

The children, one described as wearing a blue sweatshirt the other a white sweatshirt, were seen on the tracks around 6.10pm last Monday.

Neighbourhood Constable, Stephen Donnell, told the Times: “I am always greatly worried by reports of children gaining access to railway tracks as there is always the potential for death or serious injury.

“This is a matter that parents in particular need to urgently address and I would ask them to explain to their children the very real and obvious dangers associated with type of activity before a tragedy occurs.”

Local Translink Manager Frank Moore said: “We would appeal to parents and carers to be aware of where their young people are and what they are doing.

“Activities such as playing on or around railway lines or in train stations may seem like innocent fun but can have serious consequences and we call from the support of the wider community to impress on young people the dangers of this kind of behaviour.

“We work in partnership with a range of local community groups and have targeted young people through schools in order to help us get important safety messages across.”

Anyone who notices children on the railway track is asked to contact the police immediately by dialling ‘999’.