YOUNGSTERS are risking their lives by taking a shortcut across a busy railway line.

Reports of youngsters crossing the East Coast mainline, which cuts through the centre of Dunbar, have been passed on to Police Scotland.

Constable Gavin Ross has since passed the issue on to British Transport Police, along with the names and addresses of those believed to be involved.

The Dunbar-based officer raised the issue at the town’s community and police partnership (CAPP) meeting this month.

Speaking after the meeting, he told the Courier: “It is massively dangerous.

“If they time it wrong, they have not got a chance.

“Even if they think they are fine, the trains could be on top of them very quickly.

“The trains that don’t stop at Dunbar travel at a very high speed.”

The youngsters are thought to be aged 13 and 14 and making their way from the northern side of the town to Hallhill, to the south of the railway line.

PC Ross said British Transport Police were to visit the town and speak to Dunbar Grammar School, as well as looking at fencing in the ‘tree scheme’, where it is thought the youngsters are crossing, at the bottom of Rowan Street towards the Lochend Campus of Dunbar Primary School.

Ed Offer, deputy headteacher at Dunbar Grammar School said: “Because of the proximity of the school to the railway line, all S1 and S2 students engage in a railway safety programme as part of their personal and social education lessons.

“The school is currently liaising with the community police officer on a strategy to further highlight the dangers of trespassing on railways.”

The incidents took place on January 27 at about 3pm and January 29 at about 2.30pm.

Jacquie Bell, secretary of the town’s community council, chairs the monthly CAPP meetings.

She said: “It really would take just one incident for somebody to get flattened.

“That is one too many.”

A spokeswoman for British Transport Police warned of the dangers: of crossing or trespassing on a railway line.She said: “Trespassing on any part of the railway infrastructure is dangerous, but this stretch of line in particular, the East Coast Main Line, caters for train services travelling around 100mph between Edinburgh and London.

“I am appealing to parents, teaching staff and community leaders in the local area to stress the dangers that are present in relation to trespassing and the importance of reporting those that do.”

Currently, the nearest crossing point for pedestrians is on Countess Road, beside the town’s fire station, which then links up with Hallhill Sports Centre.

Shortly before Christmas, ward councillor Norman Hampshire announced talks were under way between East Lothian Council and Network Rail with a view to a new underpass being created.

The underpass, if it got the go-ahead, would be purely for pedestrians and could be created near Ash Grove, west of where the youngsters are crossing the line at the moment.