An incident in which a trolley was thrown in front of a moving train at the weekend could have been fatal, police have said.

British Transport Police said the train struck the trolley after it had been thrown on to the line near Blairhill Station in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, at about 9.50pm on Sunday.

The trolley passed between overhead wires, which carry around 25,000 volts, leading to fears someone could have been electrocuted.

No one is thought to have been injured in the incident, which also put the train driver and passengers at risk.

Officers have appealed for information on who is responsible.

Police constable Mark Harrington said: "We believe the trolley was thrown on to the tracks before the train struck it.

"It's incredible that whoever threw it was not electrocuted, as the trolley has gone between the overhead wires.

"This was a stupid and dangerous thing to do and could have had very serious consequences not only for the person throwing the trolley but also for the driver and all the passengers of the train that collided with it."

He added: "This happened in a residential area so it is likely that someone will have seen or heard people by the tracks around the time of the incident.

"I would like to speak to anyone who has any information that could help with this investigation.

"Please call me on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, quoting reference number 460 12/02/17."