A metal bar wedged in a railway track in Co Down 'could in a worst case scenario have led to a derailment,' the Vice Chairman of Downpatrick and County Down Railway has said.
Pictures of the incident which shows a 'metal bar wedged in between the switches and the point lock removed' were posted on the PSNI Down Facebook page last night.
Robert Gardiner said that the metal bar was removed following a daily manual inspection of the track, however it could have caused a major accident if not discovered in time.
"A metal bar was wedged in between the switches and the point lock removed, meaning that the points were not engaged which could in a worst case scenario lead to a derailment," he said.
"This sabotage was discovered prior to any trains running and remedied as a matter of course, there was no risk to either train crew or members of the public at any time."