THE BROTHER of a tragic train driver who watched helplessly as his engine killed a teenager has called on rail companies to provide more help for traumatised staff.

David Roberts said he feared his brother Stephen Douglas would drink himself to death after his life fell apart following the horrific accident in 2003.

Mr Douglas, 50, from Darlington, started drinking heavily after the Arriva train he was driving hit and killed teenager Ben Williams, who had been lying across the rails.

An inquest later heard that the victim, who lived in Middlesbrough, suffered from attention deficiency disorder and was an attention seeker, who often laughed when the risks and dangers of situations were pointed out to him.

A devastated Mr Douglas told the hearing how the young man tried to get out of the way of the Whitby-Middlesbrough express but slipped on a sleeper and couldn't pull himself to safety.

Mr Roberts said his brother still blamed himself for the accident, despite there being nothing he could have done to prevent the tragedy.

His family are convinced the driver suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mr Roberts said: "He went to work and told them he had a problem with drink. He was asking for help. Although he was never drunk at work, he was kicked out within a few months.

"It destroyed his life - he lost his job, his wife and his home and he is now going to kill himself with the drink."

Mr Roberts said his brother, who had worked on the railways since he was 16, did go to see a counsellor but the sessions did not last.

He has urged the public to consider the devastating impact on train drivers who witness fatalities and wants train operators to do more to support drivers involved in tragedies.

Mr Douglas' plight came to light last month after he appeared in court for brandishing a samurai sword in the street following a row with a neighbour. ironically, the court appearance resulted in him being offered medical help.

Andy Botham, from train drivers' union Aslef, said while more was being done to help drivers with the number of deaths on train lines increasing there was still work to do.

He addaed: "Years ago if you were involved in a fatal accident there was an attitude of 'it happens lad, you just have to get on with it', but people wouldn't get on with it and people would find it hard to cope.

"We had drivers who had coped with the death and then they had to go to court and they found out [about] the person who they hit. I have seen grown men reduced to quivering wrecks."

Drivers no longer have to attend inquests as a matter of course. They also have access to counsellors, a buddy system and information to help the families cope.

Arriva said it could not comment on individual circumstances, but a spokesman said: “We have policies and procedures in place to ensure our drivers are supported during incidents which, like other rail operators, are sadly sometimes part of our operating environment.

“Wherever we operate, across all of our UK rail operations, we have a robust employee support policy that includes access to immediate incident support, ongoing counselling and a structured return to work programme.”