SHOCKING footage of people trespassing on the railway has been released by the British Transport Police to prevent more people risking their lives this summer.

The authority has issued a warning to young people as trespass figures rose across the east of England last year.

In the last three years, there has been a six per cent rise in the number of reports of trespass in summer months.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Longer evenings, coupled with the start of the holidays, spell danger for Britain’s youth as statistics show young people are twice as likely to trespass at this time of year than in the winter.

Over the past ten years, almost 170 people in the UK have lost their lives after trespassing on the railway. Data shows that just under half of those killed are under the age of 25.

Across the east of England, there were 109 trespass incidents last year. A total of 36 of these were in Southend.

"Taking a short cut or playing around on the tracks can result in serious life-changing injuries or death.Kat O’Malley, Network Rail’s community safety manager, said: "It may seem like a good idea to take a shortcut, or like fun to play on the tracks, but this is not only illegal, it is also extremely dangerous.

"Britain has the safest railway in Europe but still too many people lose their lives on the tracks.

"As the railway gets busier, we must all work harder to keep young people safe by making them aware of the dangers that exist."

Data also shows:

•  72 per cent of all trespassers who died over the last ten years were struck by a train

• Another 17 per cent were electrocuted

• The others fell from structures or trains.

Most trespassers highlight taking a short cut (42 per cent) as their main motivation for committing the crime, followed by thrill-seeking (19 per cent).

Officers from British Transport Police are stepping up patrols across the region.

Chief Inspector Tom Naughton said: "The last thing our officers want to do is knock on someone’s door to tell a parent or family their loved one has been killed or seriously injured as a result of trespassing.

"We’re doing all we can to keep young people safe by patrolling areas where we know they’re likely to trespass and prevent them from doing so. However, we cover thousands of miles of track and we cannot tackle this issue alone.

"That is why we are urging parents and young people to heed this warning and take a reality check when it comes to trespass. It’s not a game: they are real tracks, with real trains and real life consequences."

To find out how to keep your children safe on the railway this summer, click here.

A list of clips in the video:

1. Train dash-cam approaching bridge – see number 4
2. Youths lying on the tracks at Woolston station, Southampton, August 2 2015
3. Youths collecting items from tracks Fellgate station, Sunderland
4. A woman collects an item from the tracks at Adderley Park station, Birmingham, November 27 2015.
5. Children placing items on the tracks, May 25 2016, Morlais, Wales
6. Children walking along the tracks at Garnant branch crossing, Ammanford in Wales, June 5 2016
7. Children run down a bank in Shotton, Wales
8. Clip from 2013 of items being passed from track to platform
9. People running across the tracks at Millfield Metro station, Sunderland
10. Sandal and Agbrigg station, West Yorkshire, September 7 2015
11. A man was left paralysed after taking a shortcut on the line at Kings Norton station, Birmingham, February 14 2015