THE girlfriend of a man who was killed taking a “stupid shortcut” over railway tracks has issued a plea for others not to risk their lives in the same way.

Charliene Durham, was the partner of father-of-two Liam Hayton, who died in December, 2007, after he was hit by a train in Darlington.

Ms Durham spoke out as Network Rail revealed railway crime in the region fell last year.

In Darlington, traditionally a hotspot for trespassing and vandalism, such crimes were down by 11 per cent year-onyear.

However, Network Rail, which is responsible for Britain’s railway infrastructure, said young people were continuing to risk their lives by playing “chicken” with speeding trains, or playing near live tracks.

In a statement, it said there were more than 5,000 recorded incidents of railway crime committed by young people last year. Examples from this region included:

● A cyclist who was spotted riding their bike along a railway line in Stockton, in July

● A fire which was started deliberately and destroyed a disused signal box in Hartlepool in December.

At the start of the Easter holidays, Network Rail has launched its No Messsin’ Campaign, fronted by Olympic boxing champion Amir Khan, which, in conjunction with the police, sports clubs and schools, promotes positive activities for young people.

Ms Durham, who has visited schools in Darlington with Mr Hayton’s mother, Christina, said: “This time of year it’s really hard. You see the dads playing with their kids in the park and just for the sake of a stupid shortcut, Liam isn’t here to do that.

“My message is simple – do not go onto the tracks.”