A TRAGIC accident which killed a man almost 60 years ago has been marked with the unveiling of an information board by one of his children.

Frederick Fuller died instantly when he was hit by an un-timetabled train on the level crossing at Rayne Station on October 26, 1961.

Now, 57 years on, a board has been installed by the Friends of the Flitch Way thanks to donations from the Booking Hall Café and the 2018 Rayne Free Festival.

The Friends were first made aware of the accident by local historian Mike Bardell during a talk at their annual general meeting last year and worked closely with Mr Bardell on the board.

Group secretary Sandra Reynolds said: “We spoke to Jim Gepp, who is a very well known Rayne resident, and he remembered the accident and said Frederick’s youngest son, Alan Fuller, still lived locally.

“So I rang him up and we agreed to meet and the family were really pleased with the commemoration plans.

“It was lovely. We had lots of people come along, some of who remembered the accident and others who didn’t.”

Mr Fuller, who was 64 years old, had been shopping in Braintree and was making his way home to Willows Green when he was killed by the train which was travelling between Felsted and Witham.

He was in good health but slightly deaf and didn’t heard the approaching locomotive. Wife Susannah died a year later.

Around 50 family, friends and villagers headed to Rayne Station on Monday for the unveiling of the board, which shows a newspaper clipping and a wedding photo of Mr and Mrs Fuller.

Friends chairman Alan Trigg outlined the tragic events and how they had come to light and asked the youngest of Fred’s family of eight children, Alan Fuller, to unveil the board.

Visit friends-of-the-flitch-way.org.uk for more information on the work of the Friends of the Flitch Way.