Crime on the Line

admin · Crime on the Line

According to Ian Hopwood C2C Director, there was an average of 3 crimes per day on this line and mainly by the ticketless fraternity, but since CCTV and Police presence has commenced, this has dropped to 2 per day. Because of this, I copied and pasted the following part of a statement Mr. Hopwood made.

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The rail company is also experimenting with a camera mounted on the front of a train.

The camera is designed to record evidence of graffiti vandals and other trespassers on the side of the track, as well as crime on the platforms.
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WHAT good is a camera on a train in one place, when something is happening elsewhere? From what I have seen of graffiti, MOST of it is done on the SIDE of trains, not the front. How do the likes of these people become Directors with ideas like this?

SteveB

I think that what they are saying here is that they want to catch them spraying bridges, putting objects on the line etc. Personally I feel that even if every single section of every railway line in the country was behind a fence, then the little (& not so little (as at Barking)) scroats would still find a way to grafitti everything in site.

admin

A TEENAGER who clung to the back of a fast-moving train for four miles told a court he deeply regretted his foolish behaviour.

The 17-year-old and an accomplice "surfed" on the back of the c2c train from Leigh to Benfleet at about 9.25pm on May 4, for about seven minutes as the train travelled at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour.

The Basildon youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted endangering the safety of people on a train when he appeared at Southend Youth Court yesterday. The teenager told the court: "I wish I had never done it. I now feel an idiot. I put my life in jeopardy. It was just something that happened at the time. I hadn't been drinking. It wasn't a dare."

The youths were seen by a member of the public who informed staff on the train. They alerted security staff at Benfleet station where the two youths were detained, although one got away and has not been prosecuted.

Chairman of the bench Neville A Brown told the teenager in court: "You did a foolish thing. You are lucky to be standing here alive today."

Robin Harrison, prosecuting, said: "During his police interview he gave full and frank admission to surfing on the train and stated it was stupid and that he wouldn't be doing it again."

He pleaded not guilty at his first court hearing, but changed his plea yesterday because he told the court he was confused by the wording of the formal charge. (Why didn't he ask about it?)

Naeem Karbhari, mitigating, said: "He fully accepts what he did was foolish and stupid."

The youth was given a supervision order for 12 months, ordered to do 40 hours unpaid work and given a community punishment and rehabilitation order. He also has to pay £100 towards prosecution costs.

Abi Rogansky, press officer for British Transport Police, said: "Playing in and around a railway station is not safe."

Graham Bashford, spokesman for c2c, said: "It's the height of irresponsibility and extremely dangerous to go anywhere near the track, and overhead lines or the back or in between trains. We hope this sends a clear message to anyone else tempted to use the railway as a playground."