A MAN put rail passengers' lives at risk by forcing his way into a driver's cab as a train sped along at 75mph towards a red light.

David Newsham, aged 48, was arrested at Warrington Bank Quay station after trying to obstruct train driver Richard Lee, who was driving at high speed.

But Warrington Magistrates' Court heard that Newsham, who was drunk, had been desperately trying to get into the driver's cab because he thought it was the toilet.

Magistrates jailed Newsham, of Seaview, Carmarthen, North Wales, for 21 days for an offence that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Chief Inspector Peter Holden, from British Transport Police, said: "Whatever the reality of the situation, any disturbance is potentially serious when a train is travelling at high speed.

"Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence. It's the first incident of this nature that I've encountered over 15 years of rail policing."

On March 24, Newsham fell between the train and platform at Chester station at around 9.50pm, the court heard.

Once aboard the train, he began throwing items around the carriage, including one passenger's book, which Newsham tried to toss out of the train window.

He then kicked the train driver's cab door open.

The driver struggled to keep it closed while he was still driving the train.

The train stopped in Warrington where staff coaxed Newsham on to the platform, where he took his clothes off before being arrested by police.

Newsham was charged with endangering the safety of rail passengers and being drunk and disorderly.

He failed to appear in court on March 30, when magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest.

A remorseful Newsham travelled from Wales to Warrington last week and pleaded guilty to both offences.

Representing Newsham, John Banasco said: "It is not a trivial offence to endanger the lives of rail passengers.

"He was not on an aeroplane but danger can be caused on a train. We all know there are such things as fatal rail accidents."