YOUTHS who dice with death on railway lines could be caught by a helicopter that will be patrolling the region's skies.

Yesterday, rail bosses unveiled their £1m weapon in the battle against trespassers and vandals who put lives at risk by tampering with tracks and trains.

Operation Hawk uses a Twin Squirrel helicopter and was launched from Durham Tees Valley Airport yesterday. The Northern Echo was invited on board for a flight over Darlington.

Network Rail bosses wanted to demonstrate the thermal-imaging cameras that can pinpoint a person in the dark - or people hiding in bushes and under bridges - after the newspaper's No Messin' campaign was launched during the summer.

Pilot Paul Smith said: "We can scan ten miles of track in ten minutes with infrared video, and can get to trains faster than people on the ground.

"The helicopter is proactive and reactive."

No Messin' was launched with Network Rail after schoolboys Stuart Adams, 15, and Lee Mullis, 14, were killed while trespassing on tracks at the Five Arches bridge, in Darlington.

Afterwards, it emerged the town was the number one rail vandalism hotspot in the country last year and one of the worst for trespassing. No Messin' highlighted the dangers of rail crime and promoted positive alternative activities.

Mr Smith said he had seen youths throwing objects at trains and placing obstacles on the lines, as well as "train surfing" - when they hang on to a moving train for a ride.

He also said the team regularly spotted adults walking their dogs along the tracks.

Police in the helicopter liaise with British Transport Police, who chase offenders in cars and on foot.

And if yobs are spotted on the tracks in the countryside, the helicopter can land so the police can catch criminals at the scene. Video footage can be used to prosecute offenders in court.

The helicopter has been leased by Network Rail to crack down on rail crime across the country, and will be used to target known rail crime trouble spots - of which there are many in the region, including Darlington.

The railway lines through Teesside, Sunderland and Newcastle are also well-known as problem spots.

The Esk Valley line, from Whitby to Middlesbrough, also has problems with youths.

The helicopter is crewed by pilot Mr Smith, Network Rail's Dave Spencer, and PC Simon Charrington, of the British Transport Police.

On Thursday, the trio caught three youths sunning themselves next to a railway line in Yorkshire, spotted a man stealing rails, and saw a group of youths messing about on tracks.

Mr Smith said: "When a hotspot has been hit two or three days in a row, they soon get to know."

Vicki Smith, of Network Rail, said: "The helicopter will be largely used during the school holidays because that is when kids are out.

"Network Rail have sponsored this helicopter so we can use it as and when we need it to tackle a hotspot."

The news came as rail operator Northern Rail announced it was training 33 conductors, who work on the Esk Valley line, in how to deal with anti-social behaviour on trains.

The scheme is being sponsored by North Yorkshire County Council because the route is used by large groups of children from Whitby.