YOUNG people vaulting barriers in front of oncoming trains, mobility scooters crossing against the lights, and parents with prams dashing under closing gates – these are just some of the abuses going on at Poole level crossing.

A hard-hitting safety campaign has been targeted on the town after repeated incidents and near misses at the level crossing in the High Street.

Even as Network Rail’s community safety team and British Transport Police (BTP) were handing out safety leaflets on Tuesday, the shocking and dangerous abuses were going on before their eyes “almost every time the barriers went down”.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “During the event BTP officers had to speak to people for crossing while the lights were flashing almost every time the barriers went down.

“All ages were guilty, but lots of older people including people in mobility scooters. On a couple of occasions the barriers had to be held open to allow people to get off the crossing after they’d tried to cross while the barriers were coming down.

“On two separate occasions parents with prams were spoken to for crossing under closing barriers. One of these involved a woman with a pram sprinting across.”

The safety awareness visit comes after an incident when two young people were spotted vaulting over the closed barrier and crossing in front of an oncoming train in March.

Ellie Reilly, community safety manager at Network Rail, said: “Jumping the lights and ignoring warning signs is sadly a sight we see all too often, and in many cases with tragic outcomes.

“Level crossings are safe, but if misused, they all pose very real risks. We’re driving home the message that running the risk at a level crossing is just not worth it. By trying to save a few seconds, you could end up losing your life.”

• The action at Poole level crossing follows a similar campaign targeted at Wareham level crossing, which was named and shamed last year as among the worst for near-misses in the region.

Shocking CCTV images released by Network Rail at the time showed a young woman pushing a pram across the tracks against lights – in front of a moving train.