A police sergeant was struck by a train after “misleading” information was given to officers trying to help a vulnerable man on a railway line, an inquest has heard.
Police officers were told Network Rail would be contacted to stop the train, but the call was delayed by five minutes before Graham Saville was fatally injured in Balderton, near Newark, Nottinghamshire, an inquest into the 46-year-old’s death was told.
Nottingham Coroner’s Court heard that officers attending the incident with Sgt Saville repeatedly told the police dispatcher that the distressed man, referred to in court as Patient C, was near the railway line on the evening of August 24 2023.
No contact was made with Network Rail to stop the train until 20 seconds before Sgt Saville was struck at 7.08pm, Nottinghamshire coroner Laurinda Bower told the inquest.
Ms Bower said the two officers were told the police control room was “on to” National Rail and had them “ready to go in case” Patient C went onto the tracks, but “the phone had not been picked up”.
Jack Richardson, who was working as a Nottinghamshire Police dispatcher for the Newark area that evening, gave evidence to the inquest on Wednesday, and told the court the call to stop trains on the line “should have been made sooner”.
The coroner asked him if the reassurances given to the officers were “misleading”, to which the witness replied: “It could be interpreted that way by the officers, yes.”
Ms Bower said to Mr Richardson: “It seems to me that there was a five minute delay in seeking to make contact with Network Rail, between officers saying he is looking like he (Patient C) is going to go onto the line… then five minutes lapsing before anyone picks up the phone to get onto Network Rail.
“It limits the time Network Rail has got to take any effective action.”
The witness said: “I was not aware that we should be calling Network Rail prior to that. It was my understanding that a call should be made when someone enters a rail network.”
Mr Richardson agreed it was “obvious” that it would take more than a few seconds to stop a train moving at a speed of up to 125mph.
He added: “That call should have been made sooner. Given the new training that’s been brought in, Network Rail should be advised, informed, as soon as there is a first mention of someone heading towards the railway network.”
Sgt Saville sustained serious injuries and his life support was withdrawn five days after the collision, the inquest heard.
The inquest continues.
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