Ten years on, a memorial service for victims of the Selby rail crash

Relatives, survivors and rail staff will be among those at the service at St Paul’s Church in Hensall, near Selby, North Yorkshire, on Monday.

On February 28, 2001, a London-bound East Coast Main Line train hit a Land Rover which had careered off the M62 and crashed on to the track at Great Heck, near Selby.

The partly-derailed train, travelling from Newcastle and operated by the Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) company, was then struck by a Freightliner freight train, whose driver, father-of-two Steve Dunn, 39, was among those killed.

John Weddle, the driver of the GNER train, also died, as did two other GNER staff and six passengers. More than 80 other passengers were injured.

The Land Rover was driven by Gary Hart, who was unable to move his vehicle off the tracks and was calling the emergency services when the crash happened.

Hart had had little sleep the night before and he was later found guilty of 10 charges of causing death by dangerous driving. He was sentenced to five years in jail and served around half that time.

Monday’s memorial service will be conducted by the Railway Chaplain, the Rev Stephen Sorby, while an address will be given by the Bishop of Doncaster, the Rt Rev Cyril Ashton.

After the service there will be a private memorial service for relatives and rail staff in the memorial garden close to the trackside at Great Heck.