Motorists and pedestrians are risking their lives for the sake of minutes by "routinely" ignoring basic safety at level crossings, says the British Transport Police.

To combat the problem, BTP camera vans will be stationed at crossings across the county this week as part of a country wide campaign.

The vans are equipped with automatic number plate recognition cameras that can almost instantly identify drivers who decide to run the lights.

Between April 1, 2014, and January 1, 2015, the force took action against 112 motorists for offences at crossings in Kent.

One driver was cautioned, 12 were charged or issued with a summons, and a futher 67 received fines.

Another 32 were sent on driver awareness courses.

Acting sergeant Anthony Coyne said: “Too many drivers and pedestrians in Kent are taking risks at level crossings.

“It might be tempting to skip a flashing light to save a few minutes on your journey, but every time you do that you are putting your life and the lives of others at risk.

“We work hard with our partners at Network Rail to raise awareness of the dangers of level crossings. Our message is simple – use crossings safely.”

The campaign - called Operation Look - is backed by Network Rail, the body responsible for level crossings and other railway infrastructure.

Darren Furness, head of level crossings for Network Rail, said: "Level crossings create a risk for people that we want to remove. Where possible we close them, and we have already closed more than 900 in the past five years.

“Those we cannot close we aim to make safer and awareness events like these mean we can meet and talk to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians about the dangers and how to stay safe.

“We know waiting at crossings can sometimes be frustrating but it is really important that people do not get complacent or ignore warnings lights as this can put lives at risk."