TRANSPORT police are appealing for information after a dangerous schoolboy prank left a railway worker with facial injuries.

A boy thought to be about 12-years-old hurled a stone at the rail signal box, in Shildon, County Durham, smashing the window and hitting a signal man in the face.

The youngster had been hanging around the train track with a group of other young people on Monday afternoon.

The signal man was hit on the cheek and suffered minor injuries to his eye, but British Transport Police say the incident could have been more serious.

Sergeant Alan Davidson said: "I cannot emphasise strongly enough the dangers associated with this type of crime.

"This may have been seen as a minor incident to the youths, but this could have resulted in serious injuries to the signaller and major disruption or danger to the rail network if the signaller had been injured."

Police are appealing for information about the incident, which happened at about 2.30pm.

The boy believed to be responsible was described as white with brown hair and wore a grey sweatshirt, black tracksuit bottoms and white trainers. The rest of the group included six boys and seven girls, all aged about 12.

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police, in confidence, on 0800-405040 or 0113-243-6686 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.