Friends of two teenage boys struck by a train in north Norfolk in December 2007 are backing a campaign to highlight the dangers of trespassing on the tracks.

The bodies of Shaun Barnes and Luthor Storr, both 17, were found on the tracks near Downham Market after taking a short cut home after a night out in Kings Lynn.

Every year dozens of people are killed or seriously injured on the railway by taking short cuts to get home. In addition, there is an estimated 27 million cases of trespass; 640,000 objects placed on the line and four million objects thrown at trains. In the past five years, one in four accidental deaths has been of a person aged between 8 and 18 years and half of all 'near misses' involve children.

Abbie Silsbury, 13, and April Smith, 16, pupils at Downham Market High School want to warn other young people about the dangers of the railway.

In an interview with the Community Safety Manager from Network Rail, the girls talk about hearing the news and why it is important that people do not go on railway lines:

What was your immediate response when you heard the news?

ABBIE: I felt like I wanted to scream. I was so upset and angry that this has happened. It was like a piece of me was missing. I was so upset.

APRIL: When I first heard what happened I thought it was a sick joke. I then tried to ring Shaun but he never answered. I tried to believe the news that I had heard, but I was in denial.

How do you feel about what happened now?

ABBIE: I still feel upset and have the odd day I want to just forget about all this, but I know that I am never going to forget.

APRIL: I still feel really upset and angry with what has happened. It is too hard to believe that you have lost someone close to you.

Why do you think that people take short cuts across railway lines?

ABBIE: I think people take short cuts across the railway because it is easier and quickest way to get home, and they do not know the dangers in what they are doing.

APRIL: It's a quick way home and you can't get lost as it is a straight track.

What would be your reaction if you heard on the news that a young person had been killed on the railway?

ABBIE: I would feel quite upset because the same thing happened to me and it would bring back the memories when it happened to me.

APRIL: I would feel so angry because I think people should learn from their mistakes.

What messages do you want to tell young people about the dangers of the railway?

ABBIE: Just please, please do not walk on the railway because you do not know how much danger there is and how much pain your family will be in, so just please don't walk on the tracks.

APRIL: Just for them to stay well away from them otherwise they could be in the same situation as I am and would they really want to put their family through a loss of a relative or friend.