'Senseless crimes' put train drivers in danger as bricks, stones and rocks thrown from bridges

A series of ‘senseless crimes’ in the last year that ‘could have been avoided’ have put train drivers and passengers in danger.

Train operator Northern said almost 70 ‘dangerous’ attacks saw carriages struck with 42 bricks, stones and rocks thrown from bridges or railway embankments, alongside 27 'substantial items’ - such as pushchairs and shopping trolleys - deliberately placed on tracks.

One incident saw a driver taken to hospital with injuries after his cab windscreen was hit by a brick whilst travelling at 70mph. The train was travelling towards Clifton at around 10pm on February 22 last year when the incident occurred.

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Driver Ian Birch said he 'could have been killed' after his train was targeted. He was left with cuts to the face but was thankfully able to safely bring the train to a halt. He was helped by a doctor who was able to administer immediate first aid.

Last month, Northern also offered a £1,000 reward after a train was targeted by a suspected air gun pellet attacker. The service from Leeds to Bradford Forster Square was hit near Kirstall Forge at around 5:30pm on May 22 shattering the glass of one of the windows.

Northern’s chief operating officer, Tricia Williams, said some of the worst crimes could have been avoided if people had reported suspicious behaviour at the time.

“Whilst they are extremely rare, we’ve seen some horrendous incidents on the railway these past 12 months,” she said. “With so many of them, the old maxim ‘someone must know something’ is what we need to focus on. These are senseless crimes that could have been avoided.”

Her comments come as British Transport Police relaunch their Railway