Police warning after 19 cases of trespassing on main Fife rail line in seaside town

They have happened when people got stranded on the adjacent beach by the incoming tide, and tried to use the main line as a shortcut back to the Links and the town.

Now, British Transport Police HM Coastguard, RNLI and Network Rail have launched a new campaign to warn people of the dangers - and urged them to check tide times.

It was revealed today that there were 19 recorded incidents of trespass on the busy rail line - which is part of the main east coast rail link - between June 2020 and July 2021.

Bryan O’Neill, BTP Inspector said: “As the school holidays approach, we’re expecting to see more incidents in this area.

“There have been incidents of trespass on the East Coast Main line where people go for a walk on the shore, end up trapped by the tide and try to escape by climbing up the embankment then onto the railway.

“The railway is full of hidden dangers. Too many times we have seen the tragic consequences of people ignoring the warnings about trespassing on the railway and taking risks that have resulted in terrible injuries or death.

“This is why we want to urge the public to check the tide times before venturing out along the beach so that they don’t end up trapped.”

The agencies united to issue simple guidance to avoid getting cut off by the tide:

Before you head out, make sure it’s safe by checking the weather and tide tables.

Be aware of your surroundings and the tide direction.

If you find yourself in trouble on the coast, call 999 and ask for the coastguard.

Robbie Robertson, HM Coastguard coastal operations area Commander, said: “We want people to enjoy their visit and the best way to do this is by being prepared, make sure you know how much time to leave to get safely back - and if you do find yourself in difficulty at the coast call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”

Trespassing crimes can be reported to BTP by texting 61016.

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.

https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/nord/dm/FFP/V