ASPIRING footballers got the chance to hone their ball skills with Darlington Football Club defender David McGurk, thanks to Network Rail.

The company has been working with Football in the Community to provide after-school and holiday activities to encourage children not to play on the railway lines.

Darlington is considered a hotspot by Network Rail for youngsters playing on the tracks, and is among several towns where the football sessions have been organised.

Vicki Smith, from Network Rail, said: "Every year children are killed or injured on the railway. They can often feel bored and start to see the railway as a potential playground. The football coaching sessions allow us to deliver safety messages to the children about the dangers of trespassing on the railway."

Two years ago a teenager from Hurworth, near Darlington, lost an arm and a leg when he was hit by a train on the East Coast Main Line.

Kevin Stonehouse, Football in the Community manager, said: "This introduces children to football and their local club. As well as educating children about football and healthy lifestyles our partnership with Network Rail allows us to get the message across about the dangers of the railway."