Vans pulls advert slammed by police for ‘glamourising’ railway tracks trespassing

‘Let us be clear, the railway tracks are not a photo opportunity – they are full of hidden dangers’

Stock image of Vans store. (iStock/Getty)

Shoe brand Vans has pulled an advert after it was slammed by police for “glamourising” trespassing on railway tracks.

The ad campaign by the popular skatewear company showed a young woman with a camera climbing off a set of tracks onto a platform.

It was spotted by Ian Prosser, HM chief inspector of railways, who branded it “very irresponsible” and called for it to be removed on Twitter.

Sir Peter Hendy CBE, chairman of Network Rail, meanwhile, said the advert was “absolutely unacceptable”.

Train driver Heather Waugh recalled a young teenager being hit by her train as she called for companies to “stop romanticising the railway”.

She tweeted: “The 15 year old boy who lay in front of my train to end his life would have been 21 this year.

“EVERY single day I think of him, his family, and his friends. And then I see this. ADVERTISING showing a teenager taking photos on tracks. PLEASE stop romanticising the railway.”

British Transport Police tweeted an image of the advert on Thursday, imploring Vans not to use images of people on railway tracks in their advertising.

A BTP spokesperson said the advert was “very disappointing” given the “devastating impact” trespassing can have.

They added in a statement to The Independent: “We know all too well the devastating impact that trespass can have, so to see being on the tracks glamourised in this way is very disappointing.

“Every year we see hundreds of people taking risks like this on and around the railway, which can have devastating impacts including life-changing injuries.

“Let us be clear, the railway tracks are not a photo opportunity – they are full of hidden dangers.

“Know the facts by visiting youvstrain.co.uk and support the You Vs Train campaign on social media using #YouVsTrain”

A Vans spokeswoman responded to BTP on Twitter to say the firm was scrapping the advert.

She wrote: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The safety of our customers remains our top priority, and the advertisement is being removed as we speak.”

Allan Spence, head of passenger and public safety at Network Rail, responded to the move, calling it a “good decision”.

The Independent approached Vans for comment.

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