Man Killed At Level Crossing

A man has been killed after being struck by a train on a level crossing.

British Transport Police said the pedestrian was hit by a cross country service yesterday on a crossing near Wedgwood station in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

A spokeswoman said:

 ''Officers from British Transport Police and Staffordshire Police attended the incident, which was reported to police at 18.01 and is currently being treated as non-suspicious.

''Paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service also attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

''A file will be prepared for the coroner.''

West Midlands Ambulance Service said two rapid response vehicles, an incident support officer and a Community First Responder attended.

A spokesman said:

''On arrival it was apparent from the outset that nothing could be done to save the casualty who it appears had collided with a train and who sadly was confirmed dead at the scene.''

No further details about the casualty were released.

The train involved was the 13.45 service from Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly.

The man's death comes just hours after the parents of two teenage girls killed in a level crossing accident pledged to continue their fight for improved safety.

Olivia Bazlinton, 14, and Charlotte Thompson, 13, were hit by a train in 2005 as they crossed the tracks at Elsenham station footpath crossing in Essex.

At Basildon Magistrates Court yesterday, Network Rail (NR) pleaded guilty to three charges under the Health and Safety Act in relation to the girls' deaths.

Olivia's father Chris Bazlinton and Charlotte's father Reg Thompson spoke of their grief outside court and vowed to make sure Network Rail carried out promised changes.

On Saturday 15-year-old Katie Littlewood was hit by a train at Johnson's Footpath Crossing in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire.

Her death, which is being treated as a ''tragic accident'' by Network Rail and British Transport Police (BTP), occurred just a few miles down the same stretch of track where Olivia and Charlotte were killed.