Media centre

Thursday 10 Jul 2003

FELTHAM SCHOOL SCOOPS RAIL SAFETY PRIZE

Region & Route:

| Southern: Wessex

| Southern

A Feltham school has won first prize and a cheque for £250 in the Trackoff website poster competition. Kevin Alvarez, aged 10, from St Lawrence R.C. Primary School, designed a poster highlighting the dangers of railway crime, urging youngsters to ‘Keep Away’ and not to play on the railways. The monthly railway crime poster competition is organised through the rail industry website, www.trackoff.org which provides news, information and access to educational resources to crack down on rail crime.             Feltham has one of the highest levels of railway crime in the south of England and regularly tops Network Rail Southern Region’s rail crime hotspot report. Typical incidents include youths trespassing on the tracks, placing objects on the line or throwing missiles at trains. Every single act of rail crime has the potential to cause serious harm or even death and can have long-term effects for those involved.  The competition forms part of the Network Rail’s continuing programme of community education in Feltham, by raising awareness of the dangers of straying onto the railway.             Anyone who sees somebody trespassing on or causing damage to the railway is urged to report them to the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40. The number is open 24 hrs a day and the calls are free. Margaret Barker, Network Rail’s route crime risk manager said, “Real success in tackling railway crime will only come about if the entire community works together with the rail industry in a concerted effort to make children understand the very real dangers of the railway. This prize recognises the progress being made in Feltham where local schools are helping to spread this life saving safety message.”