acole@thekmgroup.co.uk

Lessons must be learnt from the death of a young man killed when he fell on a live railway line.

Mid Kent and Medway coroner Roger Sykes spoke out after listening to evidence in 22-year-old Ashley Godmon's inquest.

Ashley died yards from Snodland station on September 3 after tripping and falling on the live line.

He and three friends had missed the last train home and decided to walk instead.

The inquest was told yesterday that one of Ashley's friends said he had done the same walk "hundreds of times" before - many with Ashley himself.

The four - Ashley, Kevin Smith; Danielle Miles and Mickayla Ratcliffe - missed the last train back to East Malling by a few minutes.

They had been at a friend's house and had been drinking. Mr Godmon was twice the legal drink drive limit when he died.

British Transport Police investigator PC David Hillier said: "As they arrived at the station, the train was pulling out.

"The two boys encouraged the girls to walk. Mr Smith says he must have done that 100 times before, on occasions with Ashley."

He told the inquest Mr Smith was walking with one foot on each rail, with Mickayla 200 yards behind, Danielle behind her and Ashley at the back, walking on the sleepers.

Ashley tripped and fell on the line - which had 750 volts of current running through it.

As Kevin waited with Ashley, the others ran to the signalman, who turned off the electricity and called emergency services.

A post mortem confirmed Ashley had died from electrocution.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Sykes said: "This was a most tragic accident but one which should have been avoided had there been an element of rational decision-making.

"But the fact that Ashley and his three friends had been consuming alcohol was clearly a factor in the decision that was taken."

The spot where Arsenal fan Ashley died is not far from where Jade Kenyon, 17, from Snodland, died after accidentally touching the live rail in 2006.