A shocking video showing children risking their lives at a level crossing has been released.

Network Rail is hoping that parents who see the footage will speak to their children about level crossing safety before they return to school.

There have been a number of incidents of deliberate misuse recently at the Cotton Mill level crossing in St Albans, which sees around 60 trains per day cross it between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction.

More than 1,000 people per day use the crossing and although Britain’s railways are supposed to be the safest in Europe, level crossings still pose a large safety risk.  

During nine days of monitoring earlier in the year, four near misses with trains were recorded and there were more than 300 incidents of deliberate misuse. 

Inspector Becky Warren of the British Transport Police said: “The children in the CCTV are the lucky ones as they were able to leave the crossing unscathed. Sadly there are people who have not been as fortunate, and I have had the heart breaking job of telling families that their loved one has been killed at crossings or on the tracks.

“Despite our constant warnings about using crossings safely and the dangers of the railway, incredibly some people are still willing to put their lives on the line by ignoring crossing instructions, not looking properly or by trying to dash across crossings when trains are approaching. 

"Most accidents are as a result of impatience; not being prepared to wait and trying to beat the train. People risk their lives thinking it won’t happen to me, but it can and it does and it’s simply not worth the risk.”

Network Rail is currently working with the council to find an alternative to a level crossing at this site and is currently making a series of changes to improve safety.

These include moving the whistleboards - which prompt train drivers to sound the horn as a warning - closer to the crossing, and making improvements to the crossing surface. 

Priti Patel, head of safety for the London North Western route at Network Rail, said: “We are concerned about repeated dangerous behaviour at Cotton Mill level crossing and the number of near misses that have been recorded.

“We cannot stress enough the danger cyclists, pedestrians and motorists are placing themselves in when they don’t use a crossing safely. A split second decision can have life changing consequences, not only for those involved, but also for their family and friends, train drivers and railway workers."