Serial trespasser on train tracks receives jail sentence warning

‘Troubled young woman’ involved in over 50 incidents since February

A ‘TROUBLED’ woman who has repeatedly put herself in danger by trespassing on train tracks and footbridges causing huge disruption - has been warned she faces jail.

Chloe Reynolds, 19, was handed an Asbo-style interim criminal behaviour order as a last ditch attempt to stop her actions which has had a ‘big impact’ on commuters and rail networks across Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey.

Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard how Reynolds, of Belmont Grove, Havant, has been involved in over 50 incidents of trespassing on railways since a care plan was put in place in February this year to try and stamp out the ‘dangerous’ behaviour.

Reynolds, who works as a waitress, was handed a community order at the same court last week for a string of offences.

These included her going track side at Southampton Central Station on September 25 at 1am resulting in trains being stopped and electricity at the railway turned off.

At the same station on October 3 she was seen going on the wrong side of the footbridge, again leading to electricity being switched off - causing ‘severe delays through Southampton’ around 6pm.

On October 2 Reynolds was at Brighton’s railway station where she was found by the track before trains were halted on a busy evening.

‘There was a (Premier League) football match that night between Brighton and Arsenal so it was a very busy night. It had a big public impact,’ prosecutor Giles Fletcher said.

But despite being handed a community order for those offences last Tuesday, Reynolds was discovered suicidal on a bridge near the railway line at Southampton Central Station on Friday last week.

Reynolds refused to leave the area and ‘kept going back to the bridge’ before she was arrested by police.

Mr Fletcher said police did ‘not want to criminalise her behaviour’, before saying: ‘There is great concern for her safety.’

He added: ‘The financial impact is costing thousands to the railways to keep turning them off and is having a big impact.’

Applying for an interim criminal behaviour order, Mr Fletcher said: ‘More needs to be done to stop her behaviour.’ Damian Hayes, defending, said Reynolds' community order had ‘yet to bite’ after she had only had one probation appointment but this had gone ‘very well’.

‘We are dealing with a very troubled young woman and I want the community order to continue with an amendment,’ he said.

‘There is nothing to be gained by sending her to custody,’ he said.

Magistrates agreed to keep a community order in place with the bench revoking the previous nine-month order and replacing it with a 12-month one that included 25 rehabilitation days and 40 hours of unpaid work.

They also agreed to an interim criminal behaviour order until a full application

hearing will take place on

January 17. Until then Reynolds was told not to enter any railway station or travel on any railway across Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey unless accompanied by designated adults.

She was also banned from entering any railway tracks or nearby areas including any railway property.

Reynolds was also prohibited from stopping or loitering on any bridge or level crossing at railways.

Kevin Head, chair of the bench, said: ‘We hope you can get out of this cycle.

‘You have caused disruption on the railways but we want to see you alive and well. That’s why a judge gave you a community order (last week).

‘You have a court order and if you keep breaching it you will end up in prison. We don’t want that to happen.’

She admitted an offence of trespassing on the railway at Southampton and refusing to quit in relation to last Friday.

For support call Samaritans on 116 123.

There is great concern for her safety. The financial impact is costing thousands. Giles Fletcher, prosecutor