Child almost falls from moving train due to missing toilet floor

The boy's mother was able to catch her son before he fell onto the tracks

Photo issued by South Devon Railway of the missing floor of a train toilet compartment (PA)

An investigation has been launched after a small boy almost fell from a moving train because the toilet floor was missing.

It had reportedly been removed to repair the brakes on the carriage but had not been replaced on the South Devon Railway (SDR) train.

The boy's mother was able to catch her son before he fell onto the tracks.

The steam train was moving at approximately 20mph and the boy, whose name and age have not been disclosed, suffered minor bruising, according to the BBC.

His mother reported the incident to members of staff on the train and the door to the toilet was subsequently locked.

Staff had placed a notice on the compartment door and attempted to secure it to prevent it being opened, but "this had not been effective", the Rail Accident Investigation Branch said.

The investigation will now examine the events leading up to the incident and the railway's safety management system.

"On the day in question, something clearly went wrong with our safety control and hazard monitoring systems as evidenced by the incident having taken place - it simply should not have happened," SDR said in a statement.