POLICE community support officers from Keighley helped avert a potential disaster after receiving a call that someone was acting suspiciously on the tracks near the Skipton road level crossing at Steeton.

West Yorkshire Police said they received a call at 7.03pm on Friday following concern for someone near the line and went to the area to carry out a search.

A spokesman saidL “PCSOs John Illingworth and Alan Cooper went along and found a vulnerable 50-year-old local woman at the crossing and managed to get her back to safety.”

It is understood the woman was a high-risk missing person .

The spokesmam added that when the officers got there the barriers were down and a train was approaching.

They were forced to go onto the tracks to physically drag the woman back to safety.