TRAINSPOTTERS have been urged to calm down after a man fell on the track as Flying Scotsman was set to go into full steam, while another enthusiast's camera drone stunned passengers as it crashed into a carriage.

As details of the incidents on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway emerged, British Transport Police warned that anyone causing further disruptions to the legendary locomotive would face criminal proceedings.

Witnesses described how an elderly man tumbled from a platform at Grosmont, which had been packed ahead of Flying Scotsman's first service of the day on Wednesday.

They said the man appeared to run out of standing room and landed on the line about ten yards from the 96-ton loco at about 9.15am.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said the man had not been injured.

Photographer Steve Crown, who was standing nearby, said: "There was no platform left for him. It wasn't like he was pushed.

"The platform was heaving with at least a couple of hundred people and the man took a step to his right."

Transport police said they were not investigating the incident as it related to the railway's operation, but had launched an inquiry into a drone camera that crashed into a train being pulled by Flying Scotsman between Grosmont and Pickering on Sunday, at 4pm.

Those travelling on the locomotive on Sunday afternoon described seeing the camera flying alongside the train as it steamed southbound at 25mph.

The drone hit a tree and its camera became dislodged and careered on to one of the eight carriages behind the 1923 engine. Passengers described hearing a loud smash.

Inspector Bob Moody urged people to find safe vantage points and stay clear of the line, adding that the use of drones within 50 metres of a train is an offence.

He said: “We have identified the person responsible and officers will be speaking to them in due course.

"Not only is trespassing extremely dangerous and has previously resulted in the train’s journey being delayed, but it is an offence for which the offender risks being brought before the courts, a fine of £1,000 and a criminal record. We will be seeking to take action against trespassers on future journeys to ensure that these pass safely and free from disruption.”

The line's head of operations, Liz Parkes, said the elderly man had got too close to the platform edge and it had been an isolated incident.

She said: "There was no danger of him being hit by the train. We have no reason to believe that people are behaving badly. Everything has been running very smoothly, it has been a fun event for people."

The incident came days after the line's management considered closing its station at Pickering to visitors on safety grounds as its platforms became packed with people trying to get a glimpse of the world record-breaking loco.