Children and young people are being warned to stay off railway tracks this summer.

Just days after yobs twice halted trains at Shepley by dragging concrete slabs onto rail lines, British Transport Police (BTP) and Network Rail have made a joint plea to parents.

Now the police have released shocking images and a video showing the risks young people have been taking by playing on railway lines.

The call comes at the start of the school summer holidays when reports of trespass on the railways are known to rise by around 25%.

Over the past 10 years, almost 170 young people in the UK have lost their lives after trespassing on the railway. Data shows that just under half of those killed are under the age of 25.

Vicki Beadle, community safety manager for Network Rail, said: “We are urging parents to remind their children that if they are on the railway, they are on dangerous ground.

“It may seem like a good idea to take a shortcut, or like fun to play on the tracks, but this is not only illegal, it is also dangerous.

Police would like to identify the man pictured in the attached images 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 man trespassing on the tracks near Horbury signal box in Wakefield

“Britain has the safest railway in Europe but still too many people lose their lives on the tracks. As the railway gets busier and we electrify more lines to improve services, we must work harder to keep young people safe by making them aware of the dangers that exist.

“Taking a short cut or messing around on the tracks can result in serious life-changing injuries or death. Around 72% of all trespassers who died over the last 10 years were struck by a train and another 17% were electrocuted.”

Last week the Examiner how slabs had been dumped on the lines at Shepley forcing a driver to stop his train and move them. The slabs were later dragged back on the tracks and had to be removed again.

The actions were described as “incredibly stupid and dangerous” by Kirklees Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team.

And on Good Friday this year, there were “significant” delays to trains near Standedge Tunnel at Marsden when up to 10 youths were spotted playing in disused tunnels near the tracks. Seventeen services were cancelled and 73 trains delayed.

Standedge Tunnel at Marsden.

According to transport police most rail trespassers say they are taking a shortcut but, worryingly, one in five admit it’s “thrill-seeking.”

Chief Insp Lorna McEwan, of BTP, said: “The last thing our officers want to do is knock on someone’s door to tell a parent their child has been killed or seriously injured as a result of trespassing.

“We’re doing all we can to keep young people safe by patrolling areas where we know they’re likely to trespass and prevent them from doing so. However, we cover thousands of miles of track and we cannot tackle this issue alone.

“That is why we are urging parents and young people to heed this warning and take a reality check when it comes to trespass. It’s not a game. They are real tracks, with real trains and real life consequences.”