Shoreham tot gets head stuck in ticket gate

Two-year-old Isaac Jones got stuck in the barrier on the west platform at Shoreham railway station on Saturday afternoon.

Isaac was following his six-year-old sister, Olivia, through the ticket gate when the barrier closed on his head.

“She had a ticket so she put it through and he just naturally followed his sister,” said mum Amy Jones, of Gordon Road, Shoreham.

“What shocked me is that there was not a release mechanism.”

Amy, 33, said Isaac had been left “very upset” by the incident.

His left ear was swollen and red at the time and he has since complained of earache.

Isaac’s dad, Sean Jones, has written to both Southern Railway and the Office of Rail Regulation to complain about the gates.

He questioned why the incident was not recorded in the accident book.

A spokeswoman for Southern Railway said: “We are looking into this unfortunate incident.

“The ticket gates at Shoreham station are designed to the latest safety standards which set safe limits for the amount of pressure that can be applied when closing.

“A member of staff supervises the ticket gates at all times and can override the closing operation of the gates at both sides of the station.

“They are also on hand to assist those who may need to ask for extra help going through the gates such as passengers with disabilities or passengers with young children.”