SWINDON is one of the worst areas in the region for crime on the railways, according to Network Rail.

With the Easter holidays around the corner, the company has set up a No Messin' campaign to combat railway vandalism and trespassing.

Almost 1,500 railway crime incidents have been recorded in the last 12 months in the south west.

Swindon accounted for 41 of these and Network Rail say the town is a 'trouble hotspot'.

The worst area was Tuffley, in Gloucester, where there were 57 incidents.

Peter Leppard, Network Rail's acting western route director, said: "In the past 12 months, 41 incidents of railway crime have occurred in the Swindon area, 15 of which involved children.

"The school holidays, especially Easter and summer, are a time when such incidents are likely to rise and we need to hammer home the railway safety message in an effort to prevent further incidents in Swindon, which could end in serious injury or even fatality.

"Last year in the UK, 34 people died on railway tracks that's 34 too many."

The 'No Messin' campaign aims to provide a diversion from unsafe activities.

Radio One's DJ Spoony has teamed up with Network Rail and the British Wrestling Association to encourage children and young people to focus on sport and activities rather than playing on railway tracks.

A team of qualified coaches will tour the country offering wrest-ling sessions to children and young people in the rail crime 'hotspot' areas.

Over the coming months, the campaign will be rolled out, focusing on hotspot areas, such as Swindon.

Tim Bowcock, spokes-man for First Great Western, said: "We are fully supportive of this campaign.

"It is important to attract the attention of children and really press home the message that playing on or near the tracks can be fatal rather than fun."

Gareth Bethell