Drivers are putting their lives and those of rail passengers at risk by jumping red lights and racing through safety barriers at a Shropshire railway level crossing, it was claimed today.

And Network Rail said its latest figures showed Wem was currently the sixth most abused crossing in the country.

Staff have teamed up with British Transport Police (BTP) to launch a crackdown on offenders who continue to flout the law at Wem.

Network Rail has invested £10,000 installing cameras at the crossing on the Shrewsbury-Crewe line after fears that a growing number of drivers were prepared to take a risk rather than waiting a few minutes for trains to pass.

CCTV cameras were installed at the Aston Street/Soulton Road crossing in March which take close-up photographs of vehicle number plates.

Between April 1 and August 4 this year, a total of 69 motorists were caught on camera breaking the law at Wem by hurrying across the tracks, even though three different warning systems are in place.

This compares with 20 reported incidents during the same period in 2008 and just four in 2005.

Sergeant Karl Anderson said he hoped motorists would realise the dangers and think about their behaviour.

He said: “Train drivers do not have the opportunity to stop suddenly or swerve to avoid obstructions on the line and it takes up to two km for a train to come to a halt in an emergency.

“It simply is not worth risking your own life and the life of others just to save a tiny amount of journey time.”