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Teenage vandals dice with death on rail track

Images released by British Transport Police (BTP) yesterday show how three youths threw a bin and a metal wheelchair ramp onto a 750-volt live rail at Addlestone railway station. One of the vandals nearly electrocuted himself after causing an explosion on the track.

  • Evening Standard
  • Published: 23:42 August 21, 2008
  • Gulf News

London: Images released by British Transport Police (BTP) yesterday show how three youths threw a bin and a metal wheelchair ramp onto a 750-volt live rail at Addlestone railway station. One of the vandals nearly electrocuted himself after causing an explosion on the track.

At about 1.15am local time one of the youths threw the metal bin on the track. The group returned to the deserted station in Surrey at 2am, when one of the gang climbed down to put the metal ramp on the live rail. It was eventually melted by the current passing through it.

Horrified

The footage shows sparks coming from the tracks as he runs away.

BTP schools liaison officer Graham Cottington, who warns pupils of the dangers of trespassing and obstructing the tracks, said he was horrified when he watched the footage.

"This shows clearly the lengths that youths will go to to prove themselves and show off in front of their friends. It's extraordinary that he was not killed. Even though trains were not running through the station, the electricity current is live 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said.

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