Devices left on UK rail lines in suspected pro-Brexit ‘sabotage’ plot

British police are investigating attempts to sabotage rail lines after two devices bearing pro-Brexit slogans were planted on train tracks.

Two “malicious obstructions” were left on tracks near Yaxley, Cambridgeshire, on March 21st and at Netherfield, Nottinghamshire, on March 27th.

They bore the slogans “Government betrayal. Leave means leave” and “We will bring this country to its knees if we don’t leave”, which were printed, not handwritten.

The devices would not have caused permanent damage or loss of life, but were meant to cause disruption, police said. Services were not disrupted and detectives are now hunting the offenders before try strike again or injure themselves.

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Assistant chief constable Sean O’Callaghan of the British Transport police, said: “This was a serious and deliberate attempt by someone to cause significant sabotage and disruption to Britain’s rail network.

“We are urgently investigating the circumstances behind both incidents and are working extremely closely with our national partners, including the rail industry.

“It is important to highlight that these acts were intended only to delay services and not cause damage to the infrastructure, however this failed on both occasions. The railway has a number of substantial safeguards in place to prevent and detect this type of sabotage and we are now working tirelessly to identify those responsible.

“We’re are currently keeping an open mind on why someone would put their life at risk to place these items on a live railway, however our early assessment has led us to believe it relates to Britain’s exit from the European Union. We’ll continue to monitor this situation extremely closely and have circulated advice to rail operators and indeed Network Rail.”

Senior police and law enforcement sources are concerned about potential disorder as Britain leaves the EU.

Sources say the devices were meant to disrupt circuitry used on train tracks but failed. Those behind the sabotage attempt, sources say, had some knowledge of how train tracks work and one line of inquiry is that they may have been connected to the rail industry. The devices were unlikely to work on the modern circuitry used on train tracks.

Images of the devices circulated on social media and police asked news organisations not to publish them.–Guardian