Bike, three piece suite and mattress thrown at trains

British Transport Police have issued a stark warning that someone is going to be seriously injured or killed after a number of items were thrown at trains and onto the tracks over the weekend.
The damaged bike with a distinctive seat.The damaged bike with a distinctive seat.
The damaged bike with a distinctive seat.

Officers are appealing for anyone with any information into the incidents, two of which took place in the Dalcross Grove area of West Bowling, the other near Station Road in Wyke, to come forward.

The first incident was reported to police at around 8pm on Friday July.

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The driver of the 6.11pm Blackpool to Leeds service reported striking a mountain bike which officers believe was thrown onto the tracks from a bridge on Station Road in Wyke. The bike, which has been seized and forensically examined, damaged one of the engines on the train which had to be taken out of service to be fixed.

The second incident took place at around 6.20pm the next day, Saturday July 12. A three piece suite and a large mattress were thrown onto the tracks from Dalcross Footbridge in West Bowling. Luckily a train driver spotted the items on the tracks and stopped and removed them before alerting police.

The third incident took place at around 5.50pm on Sunday July 13 as a train, the 5.05pm Huddersfield to Leeds Northern Rail service was on approaching Bradford Interchange station.

As the train passed under the rail bridge near Dalcross Grove a brick was thrown at the train, it bounced off the windscreen, smashing the glass. The train had to be taken out of service at to be fixed.

Fortunately on each occasion no-one was injured.

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Insp Granville Sellers said: “Whoever was responsible for these foolish and dangerous acts put the lives of rail passengers and staff at risk

“They have also caused unnecessary delays and disruption to passengers’ journey’s as the damaged trains had to taken out of service to be fixed.

“We urge those who think that throwing objects at trains or onto railway lines is fun, or a good way to dispose of their household items to think about the consequences of their actions, which could result in serious injury or someone being killed.

“Officers will be stepping up patrols in the area to try and catch those responsible and we have been already conducting local enquiries into the incident. There were a number of children and young people in the area who were spoken to by police following the incident.

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“Officers will also be undertaking visits to schools and youth groups in the area to reinforce the message of the dangers of throwing objects at trains and treating the railway as a playground, and I would also like to ask that parents and carers do the same and speak to their children to re-emphasise the risks.”

Insp Sellers added, “I would like to appeal to anyone who may know who is responsible, or saw anything suspicious in the Wyke or Dalcross areas over the weekend at the relevant times to get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police by calling 0800 405040 or texting 61016 quoting background log PSUB/B6 of 14/7/2014.

Alternatively, information can be passed to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.