YOUNGSTERS should stay off train tracks in Warrington during the summer holidays.

In the next few months British Transport Police will step up patrols to deal with troublemakers.

Traditionally, the arrival of the school summer holidays marks an upturn in the number of trespass incidents the force has to deal with.

It also leads to an increase in other forms of route crime, such as stone throwing and objects being placed on lines.

This summer police are taking a new approach to the problem by talking to potential rule breakers.

Sergeant Andy Tomkins said: “We have already seen a slight increase in the number of route crime offences in north Cheshire with youngsters running across the tracks and throwing objects at trains. This is unbelievably dangerous.

“To combat the irresponsible behaviour we have been out to several schools in the area in a bid to educate the children and show them the danger of their actions.

“This work will continue throughout the summer holidays as our officers will be out and about across the area, patrolling stations and on trains and will be speaking to young people about the dangers of the railway.

“Sadly, in other parts of the north west, we have already seen fatalities as a result of people trespassing and neither I, nor any other officer, want to have to tell another family that their son or daughter won’t be coming home.”