Six facing trial over railway track theft (From Wiltshire Times)

Six facing trial over railway track theft

8:06am Tuesday 21st August 2012 in Westbury By Staff reporter

Six men are to face trial by judge and jury in connection with the alleged theft of railway track and an attempted cover up.

It is said that five of the men took £5,000 worth of scrap railway lines, which belonged to Network Rail, a few days before Christmas.

And three are than accused of being involved over the following months in making a false invoice for the track to interfere with the police investigation.

The five men accused of theft are: Martin Wrighthouse, 50, of Primrose Place, Westbury; Iain Bryers, 45, of Fell Road, Westbury; Stephen Page, 54, of Southampton, Hants; Daniel Bownes, 20, and Melvyn Bownes, 49, both of Worksop, Notts.

They are said to have taken about 66 lengths of railway track from the Trackwork depot in Westbury on Friday December 23 last year.

Wrighthouse, Melvyn Bownes, and Craig Chadwick, 43, of Bridge Court, Westbury, are charged with perverting the course of justice.

It is said that between December 21 and March 15 they caused a false order form relating to steel railway lines to be produced knowing or suspecting a police investigation had begun.

All six men pleaded not guilty to the charges at Swindon Crown Court. Although Page was not in court as he was on holiday his solicitor indicated he denied the allegation against him.

Judge Douglas Field adjourned the case to Tuesday November 6 when the six men are to face trial by jury on the charges.

He released all of them on bail to Friday September 14 when there will be a further directions hearing in advance of the trial.