YOUNGSTERS have been gi ven a fresh warning about the dangers of playing near railway lines with the Easter holidays fast approaching.

Network Rail and the British Transport Police (BTP) said that with trains travelling at speeds of up to 125mph and dangers from overhead electric wires, the railway was "not a playground".

Dyan Crowther, route director at Network Rail, said: "Every day, we get reports of children using the railway as an adventure playground. Without exception, on every occasion, children are putting themselves at risk of being hit by a train or electrocuted.

"The consequences are immediate and often fatal, for the chances of a train stopping in time or surviving a 25,000 volts shock are virtually nil."

A spokesman for the BTP said: "We appeal to all parents to be mindful of these dangers and ensure that their children do not play on or near the railway as it can end in tragedy."

Trackside patrols will be stepped up during the Easter school holidays.

A series of recent tragedies prompted the launch of The Northern Echo's No Messin' campaign to warn children about playing on railway lines.

Last year, two teenagers were killed when they were struck by a high speed train near Darlington. Toni Hannant, 14, also died when she was hit by a train near her home in Blackhall Colliery, County Durham.