Boy, 15, loses eye after railway line detonator blows up in his face when he threw it on a bonfire

• Teenagers were able to access Network Rail depot where explosive were through broken railing

A 15-year-old boy has been blinded in one eye after a stolen detonator blew up in his face.
The teenager and two friends had thrown the box of explosives,
used as railway warning signals, onto a bonfire where at least one blew up, causing the injury.
The youngster was taken to hospital at about 10.45pm on Saturday and underwent surgery the next day.

Theft: The teenager and two friends had thrown the box of explosives, used as railway warning signals, onto a bonfire (file picture)

WHAT ARE RAILWAY LINE DETONATORS USED FOR?

Railways detonators are used as a warning signal for train drivers.
About the size of a large coin, the detonator is strapped to the top of the rail with metal straps.
When a train wheel passes over it, the device emits a loud bang to warn drivers about a number of things including: dense fog, a train stopped on the line ahead or ongoing engineering works.
They are also used by signallers when they need to stop approaching trains in an emergency
The explosives can be dangerous if handled in the wrong way - throwing them onto bonfires for example.

Two 17-year-olds have been arrested and bailed pending further enquiries on suspicion of theft following the incident in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
Youngsters who regularly use the skate park near to the Network Rail waste site where the explosives were stolen from, revealed they had been able to enter the building through a broken railing for some time. It has since been repaired.
Det Con Michael Bute of British Transport Police, said: 'This is a tragic incident. It has had very serious consequences for the youngster involved.
'It does serve to highlight the dangers of trespassing into any part of the railway network which is not meant for public access.'
Pat Holden, chairman of Leigh Town Council, called for steps to be taken to ensure a similar accident doesn’t happen again.

Way in: Youngsters who regularly use the skate park near to the Network Rail waste site where the explosives were housed, said they could enter the building through a broken railing (file picture)

She said: 'You would have thought if there are dangerous items hanging around then security would be tight, especially when the depot is so close to a popular children’s park.
'The skate park is used a lot but you don’t usually get much trouble. Unfortunately when you get a group of young people together they don’t think anything through.

'It’s just fun for them until something like this happens. Parents need to stress to their children they need to think about their actions. I just hope something is learned from this awful accident. My thoughts are obviously with the poor boy and his family.'
A Network Rail spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the specifics of the incident at this stage, but were working closely with police.