Offenders helped contractors shovel ballast to support the tracks

Wakefield District Youth Offending Team worked with Network Rail to arrange for two offenders to help with maintenance work on the tracks near Selby.

Officials said it was a way of making young offenders understand the damage they cause through theft and vandalism.

Train services in the area were stopped while work was carried out at weekends.

The two boys, who cannot be named, were instructed to complete nine hours reparation work in which they worked alongside paid contractors shovelling the crushed stone ballast that supports the track.

Network Rail said it was desperate to stop the "huge problems" created by trespassers, vandalism and theft on the rail network.

Dangerous actions

Route director Dyan Crowther said: "These young people risked disfigurement and death by trespassing onto the railway.

"Their actions also caused disruption to passengers while repairs were carried out.

"I am pleased that we have been able to bring them back onto the railway in a safe and controlled way to show them just how dangerous their actions were."

Martin Morrey from Wakefield's Youth Offending Team said the scheme gave offenders an opportunity to repay society for their crimes.

"We continually strive to address reparation by young people who have fallen foul of the law directly to the victims," he said.

"I am sure that the young people who have attended this scheme will have gained some insight into how difficult it is to maintain the railways while at the same time repairing some of the harm that they caused."