WE have seen many deaths on our country's railway lines in recent years.

On Tuesday, last week, the latest tragedy was avoided in the Brickfields area of Worcester more by luck than judgment, in our opinion.

As we report today, a train travelling past the playing fields in Brickfields towards Shrub Hill station, at around 8pm, came under attack from a barrage of rocks thrown by a group of children.

In a terrifying moment, one of the rocks smashed through a train window, showering the compartment with shards of glass.

According to an eye-witness, if the rock had smashed through the next window to the left it would have gone into the driver's compartment. We suggest that it takes very little imagination to see what could have happened in those circumstances.

Over the years, the pages of this newspaper have reported both the good and bad sides of youngsters in our society.

And it's worth remembering that every incident of vandalism is balanced by a dozen young people embarking on a fund-raising effort; every thug who intimidates an elderly person is outnumbered by dozens more who are willing and able to help others.

What sets one group apart from the other, we'd suggest, is the manner in which they are brought up.

The question which needs to be directed at the parents of the children who pelted the train is this: Did you know what your children were doing that evening? And, if you didn't, why not?