Drunk lucky to survive trip
in coal wagon

POLICE say a man is lucky to be alive after he was heard calling for help after climbing into the back of an empty coal wagon on a train.

A member of the public raised the alarm after hearing shouting from the back of the train at 1am yesterday as it travelled from Killingholme to Immingham.

The Humberside Police helicopter was launched to help locate the train, which was stopped with help from British Transport Police.

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Firefighters were also called to assist in the rescue of the man, who “appeared to be in drink” and could not get out on his own.

He was checked by paramedics before being arrested and taken to Scunthorpe Police Station. A man aged 38 from Doncaster has now been charged with obstructing an engine using a railway.

Insp Glen Munson, from Humberside Police, said: “Had the goods train got to Immingham Docks it is highly likely that the carriages would have been fully loaded with coal by crane for a return journey to the power station.

“Once in the carriage it would have been impossible for the man to escape without help and he would almost certainly have been crushed to death.”