Railway worker jailed for being drunk while manning crossing

A district judge heard that Peter Singleton, 29, was almost three times the drink-drive limit and more than seven times Network Rail’s drinking limit when paramedics were called to his cabin at the Crofton Crossing, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, last month.

Wakefield Magistrates’ Court was told a colleague found Singleton on the evening of October 18 slumped and unconscious with a train waiting to cross.

Singleton is an alcoholic with a range of health problems, the court heard, but District Judge Jonathan Bennett said he had no choice but to send him to prison.

District Judge Bennett said: “You held a very important and responsible job.

“The lives of hundreds of people were in your hands.”

Singleton, of Roger Drive, Sandal, near Wakefield, admitted at a previous hearing a charge of being unfit to work through drink or drugs while working as a gatekeeper on a level crossing. The court was told a breath test showed he had 99 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of his breath. The legal limit for driving is 35 micrograms but Network Rail limit is 13 micrograms for staff.

Singleton has no previous convictions but the court heard he has suffered from bulimia for many years and also has seizures.

The district judge was told one seizure last year resulted in some brain damage which left him with erratic behaviour.

The court was told Crofton Crossing, on Doncaster Road, Wakefield, was the “second busiest in Europe” and 65 trains can go through it in a 24-hour period.

Mike Devlin, defending, said his client had worked for Network Rail since 2004 but would now lose his job. “He’s not making any excuses. He takes full responsibility,” Mr Devlin added.