HUNDREDS of rush hour commuters were delayed when youths tampered with rail tracks and then stoned the official sent to fix the damage.
A gang of youths used a brick to jam a point on the track at Darwen railway station at 4.30pm yesterday.
But when a train supervisor went to inspect the track he was attacked by the thugs, who hurled bricks at him.
Packed trains in both directions between Manchester to Blackburn were delayed and eventually one train had to be diverted.
A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: "Luckily the supervisor was uninjured in the attack but we are treating this as very serious. Jamming the points would not lead to any crash or de-railment but it caused delays to lots of people travelling during rush hour."
Previous news story
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article