THERE was a wonderful photograph in another newspaper recently depicting a young boy on a railway station waiting for his train.

Rather than gazing intently at an electronic toy or playing some mindless game he was laid full-length on the platform, head over the platform edge, gazing intently at...what? An ants nest? Insects scurrying hither-and-thither? Or maybe just looking at the railway line, its fittings, visualising a train’s wheels thereon and wondering how this piece of steel could bear the weight of a train.

Unfortunately the photograph had been taken by a busy-body who had forwarded it to British Transport Police saying the father had put the boy’s life in danger as a train may have come along at any moment.

What a typical snowflake’s reaction to innocent childhood curiosity.

Obviously the busy-body knows nothing about electronic train timetables, which would be in plain sight for passengers to be able to ascertain when trains are due at the platform that young boy was leaning over.

The father of the boy was watching over him and would have known when the next train was due and have told his son to come away from the platform edge.

Childhood is brief enough these days and, once it’s gone, it’s gone forever! Having people misinterpreting simple childhood pursuits could see it shortened even more.

Philip Roe,

Roman Avenue South,

Stamford Bridge

Editor’s note: We understand Mr Roe’s point. We would point out,

however, that railway lines are very dangerous. In the

last year alone, seven children under 18 have lost their lives playing on or near lines, and a further 48 have received serious injuries. The British Transport Police and Network Rail have just launched their annual

summer rail safe campaign to warn children and young people of the dangers. See our feature here http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/16380671.keep-off-the-line-transport-police-launch-summer-rail-safety-campaign/ for more details.