A DEVASTATED family is calling for action after their beloved dog was electrocuted on a railway line.

Kate Elliott was walking Staffordshire bull terrier Milo along Walking Field Lane in Poole on Saturday night when he chased a fox and got under a fence on to the railway line.

He died on the track.

Kate, who lives with 16-year-old son Callum in Acorn Avenue, said: “This should never have been able to happen. The gates on the entrance to Walking Field Lane do not display any danger warning signs.

“There was obviously a hole in the fence that he was able to climb under and get on to the tracks.

“Milo was not just a dog – he was our family and our best friend.

“My son and I are absolutely broken.”

She added: “It should be impossible for anyone to get on to the track and our dog was not a small slim dog. I am really concerned that a child could get on to the track.”

Kate said workers from Network Rail removed Milo from the line and returned him to the Elliotts.

He was buried over the weekend in their garden.

Tanya Sallaku, a friend and neighbour, said: “We called Network Rail to ask them to turn off part of the track so that we could go and get Milo.

“We had to wait for the fire engines to attend so that no life was endangered and then I stood and watched as they picked the dog up.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We have over 20,000 miles of track in Britain and there are a number of ways we mark the boundary including walls, fencing and vegetation.

“We carry out regular inspections so the boundaries are in a reasonable condition with the intention of deterring people and animals from accessing the railway.

“From time to time, the boundary marker can become damaged between inspections and if this is reported to us, we take steps to carry out repairs.

“Following this incident, we will inspect the area and carry out any necessary repairs. We encourage dog owners to keep their pets under full control when close to the railway, in the same way they would if alongside a busy road.”