Appointed three years ago, Chris Leech’s mission is straightforward: to open children’s eyes to the dangers and consequences of anti-social behaviour on trains, tracks and at railways stations. 

His appointment came at a time when intensifying pressure on the British Transport Police’s resources meant the force could only react to incidents after the event. As Chris says: “It was obvious that, as a responsible organisation, Northern Rail had to take active steps to prevent incidents rather than pick up the pieces when it’s too late.”

Since his appointment in 2002, Chris has worked intensively to spread his safety first message among communities across the Northern Rail region, which stretches from the Scottish borders to Crewe. He has now presented rail safety talks to over 250,000 pupils aged 4-17 years. Among other topics, his presentations cover behaviour at stations and on trains, graffiti, staff assaults, vandalism and trespass.

Chris’s work is distinguished by smart thinking that gets to the very heart of what makes Serco’s communities tick. For example, an agreement with football clubs Leeds United and Darlington FC means any supporter convicted in court for offences committed while travelling to or from either club will be banned from matches for life.

As part of a parallel initiative, youngsters convicted of offences on the Northern Rail network are encouraged to meet and work alongside Northern Rail employees as part of their rehabilitation. The aim: to show young offenders first-hand that rail crime is not victimless. To date, 33 youngsters have taken part in the scheme and not one of them has re-offended. 

Working alongside child psychologist, Dr Susan Morgan, Chris developed another rail industry first: a course aimed at educating train crews on how to eliminate confrontation when dealing with school children. Developed with the full support of the North Yorkshire Education Authority, the course’s success has attracted the attention of the UK rail authorities and there are plans to launch it nationally. 

Several equally innovative arts-based safety initiatives are scheduled for 2006, culminating with a concert at Elland Road, home to Leeds United.

Meanwhile, Chris’s efforts have helped to reduce anti-social behaviour on the Northern Rail network by an impressive 74 per cent, an achievement that has attracted praise from the government. As a result of this success, every rail operator in the UK is now obliged to have a school liaison officer.