Trespasser caused nearly £1,000,000 worth of delays after stopping trains

A trespasser who caused almost £1 million worth of disruption to trains in south London is ‘lucky to be alive’ after a chase down the tracks.

Ashley Cox, 35, from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire East, wreaked havoc on a railway line between Gatwick and Victoria station after climbing on the tracks last summer.

He entered the railway line, which is illegal, at Wandsworth Common station in south London on August 12 last year.

The disruption caused by his actions amounted to almost £1 million and hit thousands of passengers as journeys were delayed or cancelled at rush hour.

Cox slipped to the tracks at the station at about 3.10pm before taking police officers on a dangerous chase along the high-voltage tracks.

He tried to escape from the officers by climbing a gantry over the tracks.

After two hours clinging to the structure, he came down and was arrested.

BTP Sergeant Mike Overington said: ‘BTP’s specialist teams investigate trespass and interference with railway infrastructure, and we’ll always use the legislation at our disposal to push for prosecution for behaviour that puts the safety of passengers and staff at risk.

‘The consequences of Cox’s actions were felt by thousands of people, and this outcome sends a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated.’

Cox appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on April 2, where he was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

He was found guilty of interference with use or operation of key national infrastructure, under Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2003.

Paul Langley, Head of Security, Crime and Resilience at Network Rail, said: ‘Trespassing on the railway is incredibly dangerous.

‘Trains in the south east are powered by the electric third rail, which carries 750 volts and is easily enough to kill or cause devastating life-changing injuries.

‘We hope this sentence sends a message that trespassing on the railway will not be tolerated.

‘Ashley Cox is lucky to be walking away with a suspended sentence as it could have ended in tragedy. 

‘Incidents like this are a stark reminder of how quickly things can go wrong, and why we always take trespass so seriously.’

Jenny Saunders, Customer Service Director for GTR, which runs Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services, added: ‘We work hard every day to keep people safe and trains running. Ashley Cox’s actions not only put his own life at risk, but caused huge disruption for thousands of passengers trying to get home, or to see friends and family.’

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