9:54am Thursday 24th July 2003
By Victoria Birch
HELICOPTERS are being scrambled above railway lines across the High Wycombe area in a bid to stop trespassers and bored children from playing on the tracks.
Operation Skyhawk, which monitors the Chiltern Railways route, has resulted in a 22 per cent drop in incidents from last year. There were 116 during the three-week Easter period this year compared to 148 during Easter last year.
Out of the top ten Midlands-route crime locations, six are on Chiltern Railways routes and include High Wycombe.
Alex Carson, British Transport Police inspector, said: "Railway crime is extremely dangerous. We always see an increased number of incidents during school holidays and are asking parents to be more vigilant during the forthcoming holidays about where their children are playing.
"We are happy with the outcome of this operation as thankfully nobody was hurt."
The helicopter, which uses a 360-degree thermal imaging zoom camera to monitor the route, was first launched in the spring.
Chiltern Railways had a total of 188 reports of trespass and vandalism along its route between March and June this year.
This includes a train hitting a bicycle that had been placed on the railway line between Princes Risborough and High Wycombe. Although no damage was caused, the train was delayed for more than 20 minutes.
It also includes a pole being thrown onto rail tracks, stones being thrown at trains just north of Beaconsfield, and children playing near a railway tunnel. And within the last couple of months, trespassers have been spotted at High Wycombe.
Drives to tackle railway crime includes boosting the number of the railway's school liaison officers who will visit primary and secondary schools along the route to educate the children.
Gary Loak, technical engineer, who is one of the school liaison officers, said: "Our aim is to help identify hazards and how they could be in the wrong place at the wrong time with potentially disastrous consequences."
If you see anything suspicious on railway property, call the Railway Crime hotline on 0800 405040
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