Shocking moment woman lies on railway crossing to pose for photographs
22 January 2021, 16:08
Woman seen lying down on railway crossing to pose for photographs
A woman has been caught on CCTV lying down on railway tracks to pose for photographs in a stunt branded "unthinkably stupid" by police.
The stunt happened at a level crossing in East Sussex which trains pass through at up to 70mph.
Shocking footage shows the woman sprawled across the rails while her companion takes pictures.
The pair were hanging around Tidemills crossing near Seaford for around 50 seconds shortly before 11.30am on Monday.
READ MORE: Police break up 400-person wedding at north London school
The incident is the latest instance of dangerous behaviour on the railway which could have ended with fatal or life-changing consequences, according to Network Rail.
It is the 17th incident at the crossing in the last nine months, with 15 recorded near misses.
During the whole of 2019, there were only four recorded incidents, with three recorded near misses.
Tracy Partridge, East Sussex level crossing manager at Network Rail, said: "We cannot stress enough the danger that people are placing themselves in when they don't use a crossing safely.
"A split-second decision can have life-changing consequences, not only for those involved, but also for their family and friends, train drivers and railway workers."
Other dangerous behaviour at Tidemills has included level crossing users filming the emergency stop of an oncoming train.
In another incident, bike users narrowly missed a train, while large groups of pedestrians have experienced close calls by trying to beat approaching trains.
Cameras have also captured a funeral procession using the crossing.
British Transport Police Inspector Jonathan Pine said: "This is unthinkably stupid behaviour by two women clearly oblivious to the dangers of level crossings.
"Trains pass through this line at speeds of up to 70mph, so they could quite easily have been moments away from a catastrophic incident.
"No photo opportunity is worth risking your life for."
