A family had a miracle escape after a heavy metal clip from a railway line smashed through the window of their children’s playroom.
Louise Stewart said someone could easily have been killed in the terrifying incident in Carnoustie, Angus, on Wednesday morning.
Childminder Louise, 36, has urged Network Rail bosses to carry out a full investigation into why the piece dislodged from the section of track adjacent to her home.
She said a child could have been badly hurt if the piece of metal – identified by rail investigators as a pandrol clip – had come through the window during the day. It left shattered glass all over the floor and in toy boxes, with the clip denting a door and frame.
Louise said: “I am almost certain the clip has flown off the railway at speed.
“Thank God this is no longer my daughter’s bedroom. We moved her to a room next door three weeks ago. During the day, this room is full of children.
“It doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened if children had been in the room.”
Louise believes the incident happened between 5.40am and 6am.
She said: “We heard a bang but didn’t realise what it was. My neighbours also heard this bang and one of them noticed there was a very fast train going past at this time.
“An ops manager from Network Rail visited us, took a look at the room and confirmed this was a pandrol clip which must have come from the railway as there is no way someone could throw it through with such force. It is a thick, double-glazed window.
“It could have killed someone.”
“I am very concerned about this and will not use that room for work until I can get some answers of why this has happened, or if there is any chance it can happen again.”
Louise and her husband Iain have two children – Jeannie, six, and one-year-old Dougie.
She said: “We were told to leave the room as it is until the police have come, there is glass everywhere.”
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We are speaking directly to the resident and investigating this matter.
“Our engineers have inspected the line and there are no clips missing from the infrastructure.”
