Warning after terrifying footage shows man inches from being hit by a train

Police have issued a safety warning after a man was almost hit by a train on a level crossing in London.

The concerning near miss saw a man forcing his way through the closed barriers. He then stepped onto the crossing and into the path of a speeding train.

He just about made it across, narrowly missing the train and avoiding the potential deadly or life-changing consequences.

It happened at around 6am on Tuesday, May 5 at the Brimsdown Level Crossing in the borough of Enfield.

Officers from the British Transport Police have been carrying out enquiries into the incident.

Inspector Stephen Webster said: ‘This was a completely needless incident, and one that requires our attention and an investigation at a time when officers could be supporting the latest guidance around Covid-19, and helping to keep the travelling public safe.

‘The warning signs, barriers and flashing lights are all there for a reason. Some trains travel at high speed, and one that you think is in the distance could be bearing down on you in seconds.

‘This incident could have very easily gone the other way, as it has in the past, and this man may not have returned home to his loved ones. Don’t ignore the small wait it takes for a train to pass, don’t risk your life.’

Rebecca Crocker, Network Rail’s community safety manager for Anglia, added: ‘This was reckless behaviour in which this person could easily have lost their life. Just a trip or fall and this could have ended very differently. 

‘It really isn’t worth taking a risk like this in order to save a few minutes.’

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