Police seek key witness after Irish woman hit by train near Birmingham

BRITISH Transport Police are searching for a key witness after an Irish woman was hit by a train at Barnt Green Station, Birmingham. 

The woman, aged 29 and from Dublin, died after being struck by a train at around 6.55am on Thursday, February 9.

The death is not believed to be suspicious and witness reports say she was seen trying to cross the tracks with a man when she was struck.

Officers have been tracing her final movements and have uncovered a CCTV image from Birmingham New Street train station of a man they would like to speak to about the incident.

Enquiries so far have established the woman arrived on a ferry from Ireland into Holyhead in the early hours of yesterday, before getting a coach to Birmingham.

She was then spotted on CCTV at New Street station with a man at around 5.30am.

The pair are understood to have been trying to get to Worcester and boarded a Redditch-bound service shortly before 6am, getting off at Barnt Green, where they tried to walk across the line to another platform.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Fitzpatrick said: “It appears the man made it to the other side but sadly, the woman was struck and died at the scene.

“We are conducting numerous enquiries to confirm the man’s identity, but we need to find him as we believe he is a key witness and the last person to see his companion alive.

“I would like to stress he is not in any trouble – we just need to talk to him. The woman’s family are understandably devastated and it is important we understand the circumstances leading up to her death so we can give them the answers they so desperately need.

“I would also urge anyone who saw the man in the image in the Barnt Green area yesterday and knows where he may have gone after the incident to contact us.”

Anyone with info is asked to call BTP on 0800 405040 or text us on 61016 reference 83 of 09/02/17.

Note: This article was amended to remove an image of the key witness appealed for by BTP. The witness has now contacted police and is assisting with enquiries.