Media centre

Wednesday 9 Mar 2005

MEDIA INVITATION: NO MESSIN’ IN FISHBOURNE

Region & Route:

| Southern

Date:                           17 March 2005 Time:                          1pm Location:                    Fishbourne railway crossing, Fishbourne Road Event:                         Journalists and photographers are invited to join railway representatives and council members at Fishbourne railway foot crossing Media contact:          Jenny Sacre, Network Rail, 020 7557 8107 jenny.sacre@networkrail.co.uk      Network Rail’s No Messin’ campaign is being launched at one of the south’s most notorious railway crime hot spots – Fishbourne. Andrew Munden, Network Rail Route Director said: “Our message is clear – No Messin’ in Fishbourne. Every week young people are reported to be trespassing on the railway, taking short cuts, and risking their lives.  Railway tracks are not a playground and this campaign will help to highlight the dangers.” During the campaign, railway managers will host a safety awareness stand at Tesco and more than 1,000 crossing safety awareness leaflets will be hand delivered to local homes and nearby commercial units. Andrew Munden continued: “The railway cuts Fishbourne in two and reports are regularly made of young people trespassing, seemingly taking shortcuts. Local people, including mothers with pushchairs and the elderly, even misuse the footpath crossing at Fishbourne Road, which is an official footpath with plenty of safety warnings.”  Cllr Keith Smith Community Safety Portfolio Holder, Chichester District Council said: “Young people are putting themselves at great risk by trespassing and playing on the railway and other local people are also putting themselves at danger by misusing the railway crossing. “Set a good example by taking note of warning signs, staying off the railway and using the crossing correctly.” In the past three years there have been eight instances of trespass reported – most of these have been children playing ‘chicken’.  Last October a young man was hit by a train while trespassing and fortunately walked away with just a broken arm. The crossing has also been vandalised on at least four occasions, with the lights being smashed and gate mechanism broken.