DRIVERS and pedestrians have been involved in a number of near-miss incidents at a level crossing in West Berkshire over recent days.

Motorists and people on feet have reportedly been ignoring warning signals and crossing the train track at Kintbury as barriers have been lowering.

Some pedestrians have even been seen climbing over barriers once they are down.

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And on February 28 and March 1, three drivers were spotted attempting to rush over the crossing before an oncoming train.

British Transport Police is urging locals to keep safe and not to misuse the crossings.

The issue has got so bad that officers are patrolling the location and cameras have been installed to capture misuse and pursue prosecution against any offenders.

BTP Inspector Darren Burridge said: “Level crossings should be treated with respect. Safety procedures are there for a reason – by trying to beat the system you are not only risking your life, but potentially the lives of passengers and the driver of the oncoming train.

Cars going over the level crossing in Kintbury. Image via BTP

Cars going over the level crossing in Kintbury. Image via BTP

“Fortunately, the recent incidents have been near-misses. However, had the train arrived just seconds sooner it could have been a very different story.

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“Have a little patience and wait until it’s safe to cross - it really isn't worth risking your life in order to save a few minutes.”

Steve Melanophy, project lead for route crime at Network Rail said: “We are incredibly worried about the spike in the number of level crossing misuse incidents in Kintbury recently.

“Trains can’t stop quickly, even when the emergency brake is applied, so deliberate misuse could easily result in life-changing injuries or worse, loss of life.

“Together with BTP we are urging people not to trespass and to use level crossings responsibly – it is not worth risking your life. The warning signals, barriers and lights are there for your safety.

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“We will continue to work with BTP to warn people of the dangers of level crossing misuse, educate them about the consequences and hopefully keep everyone safe.”