Parents urged to warn their children after new figures show young people in the South West are twice as likely to trespass on a railway track in the summer than in the winter

In 2015, there were 128 reports of trespassing on a train track across the South West during the summer, resulting in 4694 minutes of delays to passengers.

As the summer holidays begin, parents across the region are being urged to talk to their children to remind .

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

Steve Melanophy, 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.

"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."

The new figures show that most trespassers highlight taking a short cut as their main motivation for committing the crime, followed by thrill-seeking.

Of all railway trespassing related deaths, 72 per cent were struck by a train, 17 per cent were electrocuted, and the remainder fell from structures or trains.

In the Bristol area, 55 incidents of trespassing were reported, resulting in 2044 minutes of delays in the summer 2015.

Inspector Paul Martin, for BTP’s response to trespass in the South West, 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 children 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.

"In addition to patrols, we’ve also visited numerous schools in the South West in the run-up to the holidays to speak to children about the dangers of trespass to deter them from endangering their lives by going on the lines."