Children risk their lives on railway line

Youngsters from the Keighley Road area have been crossing the line to get to Burnside Recreation Ground which has more equipment than their own playground at Bold Venture.

But, a potentially fatal accident has been prevented thanks to the actions of resident Allison Smith and Skipton mayor Coun Polly English.

Mrs Smith said the problem was brought to her attention when her four-year-old son told her that "naughty" children had been playing on the railway line.

She noticed that a gate behind Walton Street leading across the track had a huge hole and children were climbing through it.

Figures published by the health and safety executive show that 10 children died as a result of playing on the railway last year.

Frightened that a local child would be killed, Mrs Smith gathered all the youngsters together.

"I told them of the dangers and the seriousness of it, and then I talked to the parents whose kids had been across the line," she said. "I have known for years that it has been used as a short cut by adults coming to the industrial estates."

The talk seemed to solve the problem until the start of the summer holidays. On Friday Mrs Smith noticed the gate had been left wide open.

"My heart was in my boots. There was no gate it was just like an open walkway. I rang Polly English and she came down within three minutes.

"The gate had been pushed back into the bushes. When we pulled it back into position we saw the lock had been broken.

Coun English phoned the police and area traffic manager Bill Isherwood at North Yorkshire County Council. Mr Isherwood said he would get onto Railtrack, but nothing was done over the weekend.

On Monday Coun English phoned Railtrack's emergency number to demand the gate was repaired immediately. Workmen were sent out that night.

"I was worried to death that someone was going to get killed," she said.

A spokesman for Railtrack said the gate had been locked, strengthened and made secure.