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Railway crime committed by young people in south Wales increased dramatically at the start of the school holidays, says Network Rail.

Incidents in August included a youth breaking his legs after jumping off a bridge while trying to train surf.

A group of teenagers was also said to have had a near miss while playing "chicken" on a railway track.

Rail crime hot spots include Splott and St Fagans in Cardiff, Newport, Pyle, Gowerton and Abergavenny.

Network Rail, which owns and operates Britain's railway infrastructure, said railway crime committed by young people in south Wales had risen by 50% in the first two weeks of the school holidays compared to the previous fortnight.

Some 500 rail-related incidents have been committed by young people in the region since the start of the year.

Network Rail said most railway crime in the region was carried out by young people - and there were more than 40 incidents in the first two weeks of the school break alone.

An event has been organised in Cardiff Bay on Friday entitled No Messin' Live! to raise awareness of the problem.

Last year, Network Rail announced it was erecting thousands of metres of steel fencing around railway lines to help prevent crime.

Incidents in August included a youth breaking his legs after jumping off a bridge while trying to train surf.

SOUTH WALES FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT KICKS RAIL CRIME INTO TOUCH

The football heat is on, in South Africa and in south Wales too.

Ten teams from schools in Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot and Pontypridd will battle out their own World Cup finals in a football tournament to help tackle railway crime in the region.

Jointly held by Network Rail, British Transport Police and Arriva Trains Wales, the football tournament is part of Network Rail^s No Messin^ campaign that aims to raise awareness of rail safety among young people.

The tournament has successfully reached out to nearly 200 young people from 32 schools in south Wales since it started last week.

A series of safety awareness talks was held as part of the initiative to educate participants about the dangers of misbehaving on the railway as well as to encourage them in taking up positive activities during their free time.

While the number of railway crimes in Wales has fallen in recent years, the large proportion of young people involved in them is a concern with the majority of crimes happening on the busy railway lines in south Wales. 

Nearly half of the total number of railway crimes recorded across the region in the last two weeks involved young people.

Alan Milne, Network Rail^s community safety manager said: ^Not all young people recognise the very real dangers of playing near a railway. What can sometimes be viewed as fun and exciting can ultimately end in tragedy. Many children cite boredom as the main reason for committing crimes near railways, endangering their own lives and the lives of others. We hope this event will show them that there are other more positive activities to occupy their time.^

Roger Batcup, police community support officer (PCSO) of British Transport Police said: ^All participants in the regional heats received DVD presentations on rail safety conducted by us. The football tournament has been a great success, with excellent feedback from all the schools involved.  The pupils have also responded enthusiastically to the lessons provided, offering suitable feedback on topics discussed. They are now more aware of the dangers of trespass and vandalism on the railway, which will hopefully reduce reported incidents."

The tournament is held at Playfootball.net in Swansea where the champion team will win a No Messin' Safety Cup for their school.

The participating schools in the final are Daniel James, Bishopston, Pentrehafod, Cwrt Sart, St. Joseph, Cefn Saeson, Sandfields, Morriston Comprehensive and Hawthorn High.

Notes to Editors:

No Messin^ campaign - The award winning No Messin' campaign which is fronted by boxing champion Amir Khan and run by Network Rail is aimed at tackling crime and saving lives on the railway. It gives young people the opportunity to try something different and maybe find a new interest - away from messing around on or near railway lines.

Taking short cuts, playing alongside the tracks, throwing objects at trains, placing obstructions on the line, and spraying graffiti on railway bridges, fencing and buildings, are all crimes commonly committed by young people.

The cost - Railway crime costs the industry ^264m every year

The Dangers ^ Trains travel at up to 125mph and can take the length of 20 football pitches to stop. If you get hit by a train, there will only be one loser. It takes up to 25,000 volts of electricity to power trains through the overhead lines. It^s always switched on and can even jump through the air to get to you. If you get too close it can kill ^ you don^t even have to touch anything to get killed

The Penalties - Trespassing on the railway is a criminal offence which carries a fine of up to ^1,000. Putting objects on the tracks (like rocks or shopping trolleys) could cause a train accident which may hurt or kill other people. If you do this, then you can be prosecuted by the police. The maximum penalty for causing a train accident is life imprisonment. If a child is charged with causing a train accident, then a parent/guardian may be prosecuted by the police too.

Graffiti is also a serious crime which can result in a prison sentence. If you are caught trespassing or vandalising on the railway, then you will be prosecuted