Despite all the publicity given to fatal accidents at Hatfield, Selby and Ladbroke Grove, rail is still the safest form of travel in Britain.

But it may not be for much longer if vandals continue to perform acts of incredible stupidity.

Their incidence is highest in the South, including Sussex, partly because in such a densely populated area it is easy at some points to get on to the lines.

There is also the problem that trains in this area have electricity from a third rail rather than from overhead wires, which means people can be killed if they tread on them.

Most of the vandals are children, some of them young, who do not have much idea of the damage they can cause.

Throwing a brick off a bridge on to a passing train may be their idea of fun but not if it passes through the window of a cab and hits the driver.

Dragging a supermarket trolley on to the tracks could be considered a daring deed but not if it electrocutes the vandal or causes a train to crash.

The Easter holidays and light evenings are not far away and the fears are they could together encourage even greater levels of rail vandalism.

Network Rail has launched a campaign urging people to pay attention to the dangers of trespassing on the tracks to themselves and others.

Anyone seeing people committing acts of stupidity on the railway should waste no time in alerting transport police or station staff.