Safety fence put up at light railway after scare

Safety fencing has been installed to prevent a repeat of April's safety scare

A safety fence has been installed at a model railway after a child jumped onto a moving train earlier this year.

The Goffs Park Light Railway in Crawley, West Sussex, said the "extremely dangerous" incident in April took everyone by surprise, but no-one was injured.

Crawley Model Engineers club said volunteers had sourced materials and built a fence with more than £1,000 raised through a GoFundMe campaign.

Its director, William Grant, said: "Members say they now feel much more at ease knowing that the section most prone to track encroachments is now fenced off."

The fencing was installed by volunteers from the light railway

The work was carried out by the club's members and completed at the start of October with timber brought in from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, to match existing fencing.

Members of the Crawley Model Engineers Club sourced the materials and tools themselves

Mr Grant said about a dozen volunteers worked together to complete the installation over the summer, managing a few hours each week, helped by the dry weather.

He said: "The new fencing has already made a significant difference to the safe operation of the miniature railway, which has been running in Goffs Park for more than 60 years.

"Public feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and members say they now feel much more at ease knowing that the section most prone to track encroachments is now fenced off."

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.