MOTORISTS in Nantwich are playing Russian roulette by dodging through barriers on two busy railway crossings.

The trouble spots are at the Shrewbridge Road and Newcastle Road level crossings ­ both protected by half-barriers.

The situation has become so bad that the town's county councillor Cllr Arthur Moran has written to HM Railway Inspectorate pressing for urgent action.

Cllr Moran said: 'A work colleague told me a few days ago that he was near to the Shrewbridge Road crossing when he saw not one, but a whole line of cars dodge through the barriers.

'Apparently a train has passed through them and they had stayed in the down position. But, of course, that does not mean that the track is clear. Very often the barriers stay down to allow two trains to pass through.

'And I have personally seen motorists do the same at the Newcastle Road crossings. I could not believe my eyes.'

'How anyone can be so stupid as to play Russian roulette with the gates and risk getting hit by a train, all for the sake of a few seconds, is beyond me.'

Mr Moran said he is urging the Railway Inspectorate to either install full barriers, which are also manned by staff, or have permanent CCTV cameras installed.

He said: 'There are full, manned crossings a couple of miles down the road at Willaston and, of course, at the main crossing at Nantwich, at the railway station. The two crossings I am talking about are just as busy, and should be made as safe as possible.'

PC Pete Coppenhall, from Crewe police traffic division, said: 'I appreciate the problem. But the half-barriers are installed as a safety measure. If a driver on an unmanned crossing gets him or herself stuck on the line, whether it is their own fault or because they break down, then at least they have a way of getting clear.

'If they were on an unmanned crossing which had full barriers there would be no get-out for them.

'From a police point of view all I can do is appeal to motorists not to take such stupid risks.'