An 'intoxicated' man who took a shortcut along a railway meaning 13 trains had to be delayed has been jailed. Stephen Harrell was spotted by police climbing down from a platform at Salford Crescent before walking towards Swinton.
All trains in the area were stopped for his safety, while a helicopter was also dispatched as police tried to find him in the dark. The 36-year-old was later arrested rummaging through a bin outside a pub on Agecroft Road.
He was on the tracks or lineside for around an hour, causing delays of 287 minutes and 13 trains to be stopped. Network Rail say the total cost of delays on Sunday, July 31, amounted to £9,223.90.
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Harrell, of Springfield Street, Wigan, pleaded guilty to obstructing the railway and was jailed for eight months at Manchester magistrates' court. He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation.
Pc Peter Hogg said: "Harrell's irresponsible and frankly reckless actions could have cost him his life. In order to protect his safety, numerous trains were stopped, causing completely unnecessary delays and inconvenience to passengers and a huge cost to Network Rail, not to mention the cost of deploying the police helicopter.
"The behaviour of one individual had a huge impact on others. Being intoxicated is no excuse."
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