A TRESPASSING incident on the Weymouth to Waterloo line caused disruption to trains on Saturday afternoon.

Rail passengers using services faced delays of up to 40 minutes with CrossCountry and South Western Railway services being affected.

The incident happened near Bournemouth railway station at around 4pm.

South Western Railway said that power has to be turned off when anyone gets on or near the electrified tracks.

A spokesman said: “We were informed of a trespasser on the railway in the Bournemouth area. Network Rail staff and the police have now assisted the individual to a place of safety.

“For the safety of all those involved, power to the track had to be switched off and no trains were able to pass through the area.

"This has led to trains now being delayed.”

Disruption caused by the incident lasted until around 11.30pm on Saturday evening.

People are warned that coming into contact with live lines could be fatal.