When Escalators Attack!

University professor Sally Baldwin, 62, screamed as the cogs of the metal walkway sucked her in to a gaping hole … An Italian train driver may lose both his legs after he was dragged in to the machinery while trying to save Sally.

“I heard her screaming. It was terrible. I saw a man trying to save her and he also ended up in the hole too.”

Railway network Rete Ferroviaria Italiana admitted a safety warning was received before Sally died. A spokesman said: “One of our patrols went to investigate but didn’t find anything seriously wrong.”

Police said the escalator had been missing five of its floor panels since Monday, when they had been removed by maintenance men. The escalator’s power had been switched off. The men then left, after cordoning off the area. However someone is thought to have removed the barriers yesterday.