PARENTS in the region were reassured last night that meeting Thomas the Tank Engine is unlikely to deter their children from travelling by train.

TV programmes featuring the friendly-faced steam locomotive, which visits Darlington Railway Museum on July 26 and 27, was accused earlier this week of featuring too many crashes.

Brian Young, a psychology lecturer at Exeter University, said that the sheer volume of accidents in the ITV show could make children too scared to travel by rail.

But yesterday, the railway museum's acting heritage manager, John Wilks, said the programme, and the Reverend A W Awdry books on which it is based, had encouraged many children's interest in railways.

Last year, nearly 7,000 adults and children visited the museum when Thomas and his friends, including the Fat Controller and Bertie the Bus, were in town.

"We have never had any feedback to suggest that Thomas has made children scared of going on trains. Quite the opposite, in fact," said Mr Wilks.

"As far as we are concerned at the museum, children enjoy watching the videos for the characters they portray. We're not aware that they have ever connected any incidents in the videos with the reality of train travel.

"My experience is that Thomas has done a lot to publicise railways to young children and especially steam locomotives."

He said the visits from Thomas featured a quarter-mile ride in a guard's van pulled by Thomas, which was very popular with young visitors.

"These events are extremely safe and certainly the reality of Thomas events is very different from the image you might obtain from the programme."

Dr Joan Harvey, chartered psychologist at Newcastle University, said she had brought her son up on the programme and seen no adverse effects.

"I cannot genuinely think that watching Thomas the Tank Engine is going to put children off going on trains," she said. You would have to watch an awful lot of Thomas. I would have to see the evidence but I would be very surprised if it did have that effect."

The programme's future on ITV seems safe.

A spokesman said: "We are entirely confident that Thomas the Tank Engine, which has been on air for many years, is suitable for children."