A BOY of 16 was taken to hospital with serious injuries after falling from a railway bridge while daubing graffiti.

British Transport Police were called to the village of St Peter's at Broadstairs at about 12.40am on Saturday after reports that a boy had fallen from a bridge near Beacon Road onto the tracks.

The emergency services attended the scene and power was switched off to enable ambulance crews to tend to the boy. He was taken to a hospital in Margate suffering a fractured skull and burns to the back of his head and right arm.

Police have seized paint cans and other graffiti paraphernalia from the scene. It is believed the boy, from Margate, was with two other youths when the incident happened.

Police have been taking statements from witnesses and investigations into the incident are continuing.

A police spokeswoman said: "The incident highlights the dangers of spraying graffiti and generally messing around on the railways. The youth suffered severe injuries after falling from the bridge and was very, very lucky he wasn't electrocuted by the live rail or struck by a passing train when he landed on the tracks."

The incident comes as British Transport Police reinforces its traditional summer holiday message about the dangers of young people playing near the railways.

The number of instances of young people trespassing, stonethrowing and placing obstructions on the railway line tends to increase during the holiday period when bored youngsters stray into the railway environment.

In May, a 15-year-old lad from Chislehurst was skylarking on a road bridge in Crayford and was lucky to escape with a broken ankle after he slipped and fell 20ft onto the railway line below.

BTP PC Keith Board who attended the station said: "It would appear the boy was on a road bridge with a friend near the station when he slipped and fell onto the tracks around 6.45pm on May 29.

"It was a miracle that he was not electrocuted or hit by a passing train. In this case the driver of an empty train that was heading back to the depot, saw the youth on the tracks and was able to stop in time.

"He raised the alarm and managed to pull the youth to safety by moving him into the driver’s cabin and taking him to Crayford railway station where ambulance crews were able to meet him and give him treatment.

"While this was an accident, it just highlights how dangerous the railway environment is. People need to take care and be warned that it is a high-voltage environment with fast moving trains.

"There are 750 volts DC running through the live rail, seven days a week. A split second decision to show-off in front of friends can have serious, and in some cases, deadly consequences."

Anyone who sees young people trespassing on the railways at any time, is asked to contact the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40.