Anger over crossing near-misses

The railway line goes round a bend near the level crossing

Residents are demanding safety measures at a Kent level crossing after two near misses when pedestrians claim they could have been hit by speeding trains.

Resident Steve Johnson was involved in the latest incident, on Saturday, at Stone level crossing, near Dartford.

It follows an incident in November when Maria Miles said her daughter, Hannah, four, could have been killed on the manually-operated crossing.

Network Rail said a full investigation was under way into Saturday's incident.

The crossing is controlled from a signal box next to the track, which bends round a corner nearby.

Mr Johnson said he was walking from Stone to cross to the Gravesend side of the line when the near-miss happened.

I am completely devastated at the way Network Rail has failed to take...safety into consideration Maria Miles

"The gate was wide open, which would suggest it was safe to cross," said.

"But for some reason I stopped and looked round the corner - and a train went past.

"If it was children they wouldn't have bothered looking and they could have been killed."

Mrs Miles said she was walking home from school with her two children when Hannah ran ahead - just as a train went by with the gates open.

She received a letter of apology from Network Rail but is horrified a similar thing has happened again.

"I am completely devastated at the way Network Rail has failed to take my family's safety and anyone else's safety into consideration," she said.

Both Mr Johnson and Mrs Miles believe there should be a pedestrian bridge over the track.

Network Rail said in a statement: "The safety of level crossing users is extremely important to us.

"We take allegations like this very seriously. A full investigation is under way to find out what happened last Saturday.

"Following this, we'll have a better understanding of what actions may need to be taken."

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