**Police Issue Appeal After Youngsters Spotted on Railway Tracks in Plymouth**
British Transport Police have issued an urgent appeal to the public following a concerning incident in Plymouth, where two young boys were caught on CCTV walking along an active railway line. The episode has sparked renewed warnings about the very real dangers of railway trespassing, especially as schools prepare to break for the summer holidays.
Emergency services, including police officers, firefighters and ambulance crews, were mobilised after reports surfaced just before 5:30pm on Sunday, July 6, of two individuals on the rail tracks. Subsequent CCTV footage revealed the boys apparently using their mobile phones while wandering perilously close to the lines – a move dubbed “reckless and deeply alarming” by police.
The footage, now released in an attempt to identify the children and inform their guardians, shows the two boys near the tracks, with authorities highlighting both the danger they posed to themselves and the risk to others. British Transport Police have stressed that incidents like these have the potential for fatal consequences.
“It is unusual for us to release images in this way,” said PC Iain Madden, who is overseeing the investigation. “Our main issue is safeguarding the two boys involved. Not only was their own safety in jeopardy, but they also put train passengers and staff at unnecessary risk. The disruption caused by trespassing is significant, and the potential for tragedy is something no family should ever face.”
The clarity of the photograph may not be ideal, PC Madden acknowledged, but authorities are hopeful that local parents will recognise the boys’ clothing or the area shown and come forward to assist police. “With the summer holidays upon us, we’re entering a time when young people have more freedom and opportunity to roam,” he added, urging parents and carers to speak frankly to their children about the perils of the railways.
This latest appeal comes as rail authorities across the country step up efforts to combat a recent spike in unsafe behaviour near train lines. The You Vs Train campaign – a collaboration between Network Rail and British Transport Police – has been reinforced this year with “powerful and moving” safety films, designed to hammer home the irreversible consequences that can follow a moment’s inattention or misjudgement near the tracks.
Chief Inspector Adam Swallow of BTP emphasised the emotional toll such incidents take on all emergency responders. “Every year, my colleagues and I deal with the heartbreaking fallout of avoidable accidents on the railway. Behind each statistic is an individual whose life has ended or been changed forever, and families who must pick up the pieces afterwards.”
According to railway data, the number of “near misses” involving the public and trains remains alarmingly high. Network Rail and BTP are therefore redoubling efforts to target young people with safety messages during the school holiday period – a time when trespass cases often surge. “We want this campaign to serve as a tangible wake-up call,” Chief Insp Swallow noted.
He also encouraged parents to reinforce key messages: “The railway is not a place to take risks or dares. Stay alert, avoid distractions, and only ever cross tracks at properly designated points. Those few seconds of caution could save your life or that of someone else.”
In a final word of advice, the police encouraged people to add the text number 61016 to their phones for non-emergency queries or concerns about railway safety, reminding all members of the public that emergencies should be reported by dialling 999.
As the investigation continues and the search for the two boys’ identities goes on, officials are reminding communities across the region that vigilance and communication are crucial to preventing future tragedies on the tracks.