I WAS on the train when the woman was trapped between the Highams Park level crossing barriers (Chingford Guardian last week), and although I was at the back and had no idea why we had stopped so suddenly with the driver sounding his horn, I had a good idea what was wrong.

It really is only a matter of time before there is a serious incident at the crossing. As we slowly went over the crossing, I saw the woman standing within the barriers with a yellow jacketed man beside her.

After I got off the train at Highams Park, I had several errands to run on the Hale End side of the tracks and each time I came out of a shop, I looked towards the crossing. Practically each time the barriers were down. By the time I was ready to cross over, it was obvious the engineers were having problems. There were loads of them there, all talking into their mobile phones.

The barriers would not raise up all the way and, as a result, the traffic was building up on both sides. We as pedestrians were told to use the subway, which eventually I did.

It was obvious that the crossing barriers were not working properly, and if this poor woman was caught in between them I am sure this was the reason.

SUSAN O'NEILL,

name and address supplied

July 18, 2002 12:00