A TOUGH warning today went out to Huddersfield youngsters: Stay off the rail lines.

It came from railway chiefs worried about more incidents on the West Yorkshire network.

Last year, more than 4,400 acts of vandalism and trespass were committed on the railways in Yorkshire and the North-East and on the East Coast Main Line.

The new message is: Every time someone messes about on the railway they risk their own life and those of others.

Last year, 34 people died while trespassing on railway tracks across the UK.

Figures for incidents on the Huddersfield-Leeds line in the past 12 months make grim reading. There were almost 100 incidents of trespass and vandalism.

And vandalism included putting metal bars, tyres and wooden pallets on the rail lines - posing a great risk to trains full of passengers.

Incidents also included 11 cases of vandalism near Huddersfield station, seven cases at Deighton, eight incidents of trespass at Ravensthorpe, six cases of vandalism at Slaithwaite and 20 cases of vandalism at Dewsbury.

In West Yorkshire, Dyan Crowther, Network Rail's route director, said: "Every year children are killed and injured on our railways.

"Each one is a tragic story of ignoring all the warnings that the railway is not a place to hang around, use as a short cut or play on," added Ms Crowther.

"We are launching No Messin', a campaign to encourage children to have fun in a safe environment."

The No Messin' campaign is aimed at 10 to 16-year-olds and suggests alternative activities to messing about on the tracks.

Meanwhile, disc jockey DJ Spoony today helped launch a national campaign warning children of the dangers of playing on railway tracks.

The BBC radio star joined Network Rail and the British Wrestling Association in urging youngsters to focus on sports and activities and not risk their lives near railway lines.

Young people are involved in many of the estimated 27m cases of trespass on Britain's railways each year.

And some 640,000 objects are put on railway tracks and 4m objects are thrown at trains every year.

* Some 90% of crime on the railways is committed by people - mostly males - aged eight to 16

* Crime on the railway costs about £260m each year

* Network Rail is the "not for dividend" owner and operator of Britain's railway infrastructure, which includes the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, viaducts, level crossings and stations - the largest of which it also manages

* For details. check the website www.networkrail.co