A YOUNG man miraculously walked away after being struck by a passenger train (Barnaby Chesterman writes).

The man, in his early 20s and from Rushenden, near Sheerness, was hit by the train as it pulled into Sittingbourne station at the weekend. Police officers say they were amazed when they found him stumbling around shortly afterwards.

Inspector Ian Williams, who attended the incident, said: "The train driver felt a thud and thought he had seen someone in a bright yellow jacket. We found traces of blood on the train and realised we had to begin a search.

"The power was switched off for about 45 minutes and low and behold we found a man about 200 yards away by the side of the signal box.

"We were just amazed that, having been hit by a train, he lived to walk away from it. He was considerably affected by drink and had sustained a cut to his head. But he managed to walk unaided to an ambulance."

The man was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital but has since been discharged. British Transport Police are due to interview him to determine why he was walking around on a railway line.

It is a criminal offence to trespass on a railway line but as yet it is not yet known if the man will be charged.