Tidemills level crossing: Woman lies on tracks for photo

The behaviour of the two women could have led to a "catastrophic incident"

A woman has been caught on CCTV lying on a level crossing to pose for a photograph, prompting a warning from rail bosses.

Network Rail said it was the 17th incident recorded on the crossing, at Tidemills, East Sussex, in the last nine months.

Fifteen of those incidents involved near misses with trains, compared to three in 2019.

Level crossing manager Tracy Partridge said she was "concerned".

She warned: "We cannot stress enough the danger that people are placing themselves in when they don't use a crossing safely.

"A split-second decision can have life-changing consequences, not only for those involved, but also for their family and friends, train drivers and railway workers."

'Unthinkably stupid'

British Transport Police inspector Jonathan Pine said: "This is unthinkably stupid behaviour by two women.

"Trains pass through this line at speeds of up to 70mph, so they could quite easily have been moments away from a catastrophic incident.

"No photo opportunity is worth risking your life for."

Detailing other dangerous behaviour recorded at the Tidemills crossing, Network Rail said that cyclists had narrowly missed a train and large groups of pedestrians had experienced "close calls" while trying to beat approaching trains.