"Don't dice with death on rail lines"

That was the stark warning from British Transport Police this week.

PC Steve Hunt issued a public appeal following the funeral on Monday of 18-year-old Arron Gardner, who was killed as he took a short-cut across the line at Bexhill Station in the early hours of Saturday July 3.

PC Hunt said line trespassing was becoming worryingly frequent in the town and the most popular spot appears to be Collington Halt.

He added: "We're not talking about an isolated occurrence. We're getting reports from two concerned members of the public, one of whom is a train driver, that people are crossing the line at Collington at regular intervals.

"It's not just young people but adults who should know far better and it's going on at all hours of the day.

"These people are dicing with death. What happened to Arron should be a lesson to them all.

"It's extremely dangerous and it's only a matter of time before other people are killed.

"The danger is that they could be electrocuted or struck by a train. The new trains can run through there very fast and they are also very quiet."

PC Hunt said people are crossing from platform to platform by walking down the ramp and stepping across the rails, rather than walking over the footbridge.

He added: "They are perhaps saving themselves a 60-second walk. Sometimes it is rail users but other times it's just people wanting a shortcut. Is it really worth putting themselves at that sort of risk?"

And he warned anyone caught trespassing across the lines WILL be prosecuted and could face a fine of 2,000.

Network Rail said this week there was only so much it could do to stop people putting themselves in danger.

A spokeswoman said: "We did a thorough check of all our fencing following the fatality and there are no gaps.

"In Bexhill we have our highest grade security fencing. But if people choose to cross the lines by going down platform ramps there's not a lot we can do physically.

"We do however try to educate the public through schools and campaigns how highly dangerous crossing the tracks is.

"Everyone has a role to play in spreading that message until it gets through."

Anyone who has any information relating to trespass on the railway or any other British Transport Police matter is asked to call 0800 40 50 40.