Rail passengers had a lucky escape when a brick smashed a driver's cab window.

The incident happened on the service heading towards Carlisle from Barrow, between Harrington and Workington.

Neither the driver nor any passengers were hurt - but the attack has prompted a strong danger warning.

The train was a Direct Rail Services (DRS) locomotive which Northern Rail operate.

British Transport Police officers were called to the line near Workington station at about 7.30pm on Tuesday after reports that the driver's cab window had been hit.

Pc Oliver Coppard, of the British Transport Police, said: "This was an incredibly dangerous and reckless thing to do and could have claimed the life of the train driver.

"Thankfully no one was injured but it is important that the person who did this is identified as soon as possible so they don’t repeat this foolish action."

A picture of the smashed window was uploaded onto the Harrington Past and Present Facebook group later that night.

One user described the incident as "shocking" while others said it was "disgraceful" and "absolutely awful".

A spokesman for Northern Rail said that the train "was able to travel forward" and that maintenance work was carried out at Carlisle.

They added: "Mindless acts of vandalism such as this cost the rail network much more than a hefty bill.

"An incident such as this can cause serious shock and upset to train crew, and as a result, our customers can suffer long and unnecessary delays and disruption to their journey.

"A damaged window also means a train has to be taken out of service for repair causing further delays and disruptions, something that is preventable and can be avoided.

"Our employees have the right to work in a safe environment and incidents like these not only put them in danger but also risk the lives of the customers we serve.

"We simply will not tolerate this type of behaviour and continue to work closely with the BTP to investigate and prosecute those who carry out such crimes."

Rail union RMT has also spoken out about the incident.

General secretary Mick Cash said: "This was an appalling incident that could have proved fatal and shows that criminal activity on our railways remains an ever present danger for staff and passengers alike.

"RMT has argued consistently that we need more staff patrolling and policing our railways and we call for the strongest possible penalties for anyone caught and successfully prosecuted for this kind of mindless vandalism."

Anyone with information can contact the British Transport Police by texting information to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 488 of 23/08/2016.