A man who died on the railway in Wiltshire was a veteran British Transport Police (BTP) officer.
James ‘Jim’ Hutcheson was fatally struck by a train on tracks in the Langley Burrell area of Chippenham in the early hours of Wednesday (25 May).
The 51-year-old served as a BTP officer for nearly 28 years, before leaving the national force responsible for policing the country’s railway network in late 2021.
James also jointly founded Chippenham’s parkrun event eight years ago and was on the Chippenham Harriers – a running club – committee.
The BTP previously confirmed that his death is not being treated as suspicious.
In a public statement on Facebook, his son wrote: “It breaks our heart to announce the sudden passing of James Hutcheson in the early hours of Wednesday morning, at the young age of 51.
“Our beloved dad, who cared so much for us and made us the people we are today will be incredibly missed by all of us.
“James or ‘Jim’ (as referred to by his colleagues at the British Transport Police) touched so many lives and he will be in our hearts forever.”
The post sparked an influx of heartbreaking tributes from family, friends and colleagues. Some described him as a “truly lovely man”, whilst others labelled him as having a “beaming smile”.
One person said: “Your Dad was genuinely loved by people he met. Always looked out for others, beaming smile and a full character. Proud to have known him if only for a short while.”
Another commented: “When I think of your dad Jim the first thing that I remember is that grin. Never a bad or cross word spoken and is going to be missed by so many.”
