Parents slammed for putting toddler on train tracks for social media

Parents who sat a toddler on busy train tracks in North Wales for the perfect selfie have been blasted by rail bosses.

The little girl was snapped by railway cameras as she sat on the level crossing wearing her navy coat and pink wellies.

Her family could then be seen taking a photo of the youngster - in the middle of the tracks at Harlech in Gwynedd.

The level crossing sees passenger and freight trains zooming past at 55mph and has a collective risk rating as "high."

Rail officials have now warned against "extremely dangerous" trackside selfies following the shocking image.

It comes after a boom in walkers posing for selfies on the rails - with photos and videos getting over 1m views on TikTok and Instagram.

Network Rail said there had been 433 serious incidents reported across the country since the start of the pandemic.

It has joined with British Transport Police and Transport for Wales to launch a new campaign highlighting the dangers.

Insp Richard Powell, of BTP, said:

"No photograph is worth the risk to you or the consequences for your family.

"Messing around on level crossings - including lingering to take photos - is illegal and extremely dangerous. You could be taken to court and face a £1,000 fine."

Train driver Jody Donnelly, of TfW, said she and her colleagues deal with "hundreds of frightening and sometimes tragic occurrences at level crossings".

She said:

"People seem to think that the worst won't happen to them - but if you're caught short at a level crossing, it simply isn't true.

"Unlike cars, trains can take hundreds of metres to stop when travelling at top speed, meaning that a decision to nip across the tracks can be fatal."