Police near Cottingley, Leeds (27/11)

[alexl92]

Yesterday I travelled on TPE's delayed 13:51 from Leeds to Manchester Airport (actual departure time more like 14:06) which had to run slowly because of a stopping service in front. Just after Cottingley Station, around the area where the White Rose shopping centre is on your left, there are some fields on the right.
As we passed this area, there was a policeman wondering down the edge of the fields at the bottom of the railway embankment. He was alone and appeared to be on-duty, and I've never seen anyone walking there before so presuming he was looking for something.

Does anyone know what this might have been about? Any recent incidents around here that might merit a patrol of sorts? I assume he'd walked down from the footbridge at Morley.

I could only think there'd either been reports of a trespass or someone throwing things at trains.

 

[reb0118]

[T]here was a policeman wondering down the edge of the fields at the bottom of the railway embankment. He was alone......

From your description the officer seemed rather pensive......

 

[alexl92]

Fair point, perhaps wondering wasn't the word. I suppose he wasn't just walking along looking straight ahead as if he was heading to a specific destination - more making his way along the edge of the field as if looking for something specific. Wasn't a quick walk but not an aimless ramble either.

 

[reb0118]

Fair point, perhaps wondering wasn't the word.

I think you meant wandering - depending on accent they can be pronounced quite similarly.

I could only think there'd either been reports of a trespass or someone throwing things at trains.

This might be one that we will never know, unless someone with local knowledge reads this thread, a not uncommon occurrence on this august forum. That said I think your explanation above is pretty much an accurate estimate of the situation. I will pop you train into the system to see what comes out - standby..........http://realtime.nationalrail.co.uk/LDBMSV/train.aspx?BY=ID&U=G34513&D=20141127 & http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/G34513/2014/11/27/advanced.........seems like it was a bridge strike.

 

[alexl92]

I think you meant wandering - depending on accent they can be pronounced quite similarly.

- Aaargh, clearly I was tired, I never even noticed that typo! I'm normally much sharper on words like that.

This might be one that we will never know, unless someone with local knowledge reads this thread, a not uncommon occurrence on this august forum. That said I think your explanation above is pretty much an accurate estimate of the situation. I will pop you train into the system to see what comes out - standby..........http://realtime.nationalrail.co.uk/LDBMSV/train.aspx?BY=ID&U=G34513&D=20141127 & http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/G34513/2014/11/27/advanced.........seems like it was a bridge strike.

The original delay to the service - the reason it was running late before Leeds - was apparently due to 'signalling problems' between Middlesborough and York (yes, that little stretch there!). As for the Copper, I imagine you're right but it's always worth asking!

 

[ASharpe]

Police do foot patrols all over, not just city centres. He might have been on his way to visit someone or just decided to take a more scenic route across his beat area.

 

[bewildered]

There's actually a footpath in that field that runs to a small bridge under the track and then again over the track further along that joins to a path at the other side of the tracks and runs to the White rose shopping centre. I've seen regular patrols of this area as there was problems with it being used by drug takers and the patrol is to discourage this from taking place