A gang of 14-year-olds played a deadly game of dod

A gang of 14-year-olds played a deadly game of dodging
trains, diving into wall recesses alongside a busy railway track
an inquest heard today (Monday).

But on the last day of the Christmas school holidays, January
4, James Hooper, 14, of Walworth, se London was hit by an express
train as ‘he diced with death.

‘
Coroner Sir Montague Levine said: ‘These kids were dicing
with death.

‘It was more than just the fun of mischief,’ he said.

Earlier an jury at Southwark Coroners Court returned a verdict
of death by misadventure after hearing how the reckless schoolboy
and his four chums got onto the railway line in Camberwell, se
London to play ‘games’.

Teenager Daniel Traynor, of Lomond Grove, Camberwell,
explained: ‘We were bored so climbed over building and fencing
to get to the tracks.

We knew it was dangerous.

‘At first we just threw stones.

‘When trains came we all scattered and dived into the dents
in the walls by the tracks,’ he said.

When the excited gang made it to the Knatchbull Road pedestrian
bridge it was dark and around 7.

30pm.

Young Traynor quietened in the witness box and said: ‘A train
started coming and we all scattered but I didn’t see James.

‘I called out to him but there was no reply.

‘When we couldn’t see him after the train had past I thought
he must be joking and hiding.

‘Then I saw him lying on the grassy verge all twisted up,’
he said.

The rest of the group were unharmed.

Local beat bobby, Pol Sgt Mark Gray told the coroner that he
was constantly being called to the tracks with reports of youngsters
playing games.

Sir Montague was told that James Hooper, of Walsham House, Bronte
Close, Walworth died instantly from multiple injuries, mainly to his
head.

He said: ‘This is a very, very sad case and I feel sorry not
only for his family, but also for the train driver.

‘It must be horrific to run down someone on a track,’ he said.

Driver Robert Schofield of Cornwall Road, West Croydon, said
that he had not seen the boy and was unaware of any impact.

Sir Montague also pointed out that British Rail could not be
blamed for the tragedy because security and warnings around the track
had been tight.

The dead boy’s parents sat very still in court.

Father, Gary
Hooper rose quietly just to say that his son had been fit, healthy
and was doing well at school.

All the boys went to Walworth School.

ENDS