YOUNG trespassers have been scared off railway lines this summer after fearing they would be caught on camera.

Figures reveal a drop in reports of vandalism and trespassing during the school holidays in the Bolton area and Railtrack believes this is down to a campaign to photograph offenders.

Rail staff travelled with drivers in train cabs over the last two months using both video and still cameras to catch any culprits on film.

They did not have to take pictures of any youngsters in Bolton but some were spotted in other parts of the county. The photographs will now be taken to schools to try and identify the youngsters.

The crackdown was widely advertised and Railtrack believes this could have led to a drop in problems this summer.

A spokesman said: "There has been a fall in the amount of trespassing and vandalism on the railways in Bolton.

"We can't be positive the cameras have acted as a deterrent, but we made people very aware of it at the beginning of the summer."

In recent years, Railtrack and British Transport Police officers have launched campaigns during the long school holidays to try and stop young people wandering on to the railway lines.

They have had problems at many sites across Greater Manchester, with Bolton trouble spots at Moses Gate, Farnworth and Kearsley.

Latest figures show over a 12 month period there were 621 incidents of trespass and vandalism in the county, leading to trains being delayed for a total of (469.68 hours).

Last September, the BEN reported how children were playing on the railway line near Lower Southfield, Westhoughton. Boys as young as 12 were spotted lying on their backs on the line.

In December last year, it was revealed how teenagers at Adlington station were pretending to throw themselves in front of speeding trains.

This March, vandals placed a 16ft piece of steel on tracks between Atherton central station and Hag Fold, which almost caused a train to derail.

YOUNG trespassers have been scared off railway lines this summer after fearing they would be caught on camera.

Figures reveal a drop in reports of vandalism and trespassing during the summer holidays in the Bolton area and Railtrack believes this is down to a campaign to photograph offenders.

Rail staff travelled with drivers in train cabs over the last two months using both video and still cameras to catch any culprits on film.

They did not have to take pictures of any youngsters in Bolton but some were spotted in other parts of the county. The photographs will be taken to schools to try and identify the youngsters.

The crackdown was widely advertised and Railtrack believes the move could have led to a drop in problems this summer.

A spokesman said: "There has been a fall in the amount of trespassing and vandalism on the railways in Bolton this summer.

"We can't be positive the cameras have acted as a deterrent, but we made people very aware of it at the beginning of the summer."

In recent years, Railtrack and British Transport Police officers have launched campaigns during the long school holidays to try and stop young people wandering on to the railway lines.

They have had problems at many sites across Greater Manchester, with Bolton trouble spots at Moses Gate, Farnworth and Kearsley.

Latest figures show over a 12 month period there were 621 incidents of trespass and vandalism in the county, leading to trains being delayed for a total of 28,181 minutes (469.68 hours).

Last September, the BEN reported how children were playing on the railway line near Lower Southfield, Westhoughton. Boys as young as 12 were spotted lying on their backs on the line.

In December last year, it was revealed how teenagers at Adlington station were pretending to throw themselves in front of speeding trains.

This March, vandals placed a 16ft piece of steel on tracks between Atherton central station and Hag Fold, which almost caused a train to derail. Incidents