Concern over crossing misuse

VIDEO footage of teenagers doing handstands and ‘selfies’ on a foot crossing to Attenborough nature reserve near Nottingham was released at the end of November, in a bid to deter copycat behaviour. Analysis over nine days at the crossing revealed it was used by the public more than 5400 times, but there were 22 incidents of what the railway would classify as misuse, 14 of which were people stopping to take photos. In addition, 366 ‘vulnerable’ users were also observed, users who in the main were wearing headphones, potentially reducing their concentration and ability to hear approaching trains. Awareness days are planned to improve users’ safety.