Media centre

Thursday 31 Jul 2008

LEEDS GETS THE NO MESSIN' MESSAGE

Region & Route:

Despite the driving rain hundreds of young people gathered at East Leeds Leisure Centre today (Thurs 31 July) to take part in a range of free activities, including motorcycling and canoeing, as part of the No Messin' Live campaign - and the good news is that they can all come back tomorrow!

Provided by Network Rail, the award winning No Messin' campaign aims to prevent crime and save lives on the railway. It gives young people the opportunity to try something different and maybe find a new interest - away from messing around on or near railway lines.

Wendy Smith's son, Ricky, was 15 when he and his friend Mark Ashcroft were killed after being hit by a train not far from his home in Halton Moor in 1997. Speaking at today's event, Wendy, who now works for youth services in Leeds, said: "I can't stress how important this message is. There isn't a day which passes that I don't think about Ricky and miss him. If No Messin' prevents just one young person from risking their life on the railway then it's been worthwhile."

The free activities will run from 12noon to 4pm on Friday 1 August and include:

Waterwalkers
Canoeing
Urban/Street Dance
Football Freestyler
Graffiti / art Workshops
Bowling Alley
Motorbikes
Wrestling
Boxing
Local bands playing on stage
DJ-ing, provided by Positive Futures
Climbing wall, provided by Leeds Youth Services

Warrick Dent, area general manager for Network Rail, said: "Sadly the combination of good weather and school holidays always results in an increase of trespass and vandalism on the railways by young people.

"What they must realise is that their actions are not only illegal but could prove fatal. We all remember feeling young and invincible but the danger posed to trespassers on the railway is a real one. At Network Rail we do all we can to prevent incidents - from improving fencing to having a team of rail crime education managers who work with the community to raise awareness. We're really pleased that so many turned out for the event as Leeds is a hotspot for rail crime. Hopefully we'll see even more of them tomorrow."

Acting Chief Inspector Nick Smart from West Yorkshire Police said: "The police are fully supportive of this campaign and feel it is extremely important that we get the message across about the dangers that railways can pose.

"It is a criminal offence to trespass on the railway and anyone found doing so will be prosecuted. They are not just endangering themselves but those who use the railways and trains for the right reason. We hope that the issues raised at the event will ensure the message gets across that railways are not a place to mess around."

Insp Glen Alderson, of British Transport Police, said: “The railway is not a playground and is an extremely dangerous environment. The reality is that trains travel at speeds of up to 100mph and can’t swerve to miss someone in their path. People who trespass or commit crime on the railway are putting their own lives at risk as well as the lives of all the staff and passengers traveling on trains. Anyone who is caught trespassing can face a maximum £1,000 fine.”

Six No Messin' Live! events are taking place throughout the summer holidays across the UK. They are backed by boxing hero Amir Khan who launched the campaign on 17 July at Leeds station.

Says Amir Khan: "It’s really important to give kids a chance to do something positive with their spare time. It’s great to support an initiative like No Messin’, which is a free opportunity for them to focus on something worthwhile rather than risking their lives on the train tracks. I have been boxing since the age of 11 and it has allowed me to remain focused and put my energy into something that I could make a career out of."