The family of an Oswaldtwistle man who was electrocuted by overhead power lines at Preston train station are demanding answers as to how he died.

Anthony Armstrong, 33, is believed to suffered fatal injuries after running across the tracks and climbing onto a freight train parked in the depot.

Minutes earlier he had been quizzed by officers from the British Transport police (BTP) on suspicion of stealing a bottle of wine from the station shop.

Police said Mr Armstrong was spoken to at around 9.30pm on Halloween night. They say he left the officers and, in the following period, he came into contact with overhead power lines.

But his devastated sister Carly says the family have unanswered questions and want to know the circumstances of his death.

Carly, 39, said: “The police said he was very polite and he just turned around and started running across the tracks.

“We’re just not getting any answers.”

Anthony had been out celebrating his niece Courtney’s 22nd birthday with his dad Lawrence in pubs and bars in the city.

It is thought he left a bar at around 9pm following a row and headed to the station to catch a train home to Badge Brow, Oswaldtwistle.

Carly said: “I spoke to him at 6.30pm. He was asking me to come and join them.

“He was very happy and joking with me on the phone.

“He was on a tag and he wanted to get home. They had a bit of an argument in the pub as he wanted to get home.”

Carly said her dad went to Accrington police station the next day at 10am to find out if Anthony was in custody but was told he wasn’t.

Electrocution victim Anthony Armstrong pictured with niece Courtney on his last night in Preston

Officers from the BTP visited Anthony’s mum Barbara in Woodnook at 1pm to break the news to her. Carly said: “Why did it take them 16 hours to tell us if they knew who he was?

“It was the day of my grandma’s funeral. I walked in and my mum was curled up in the ball.

“They told her there’s no easy way to tell you this, there’s been an accident and your son is dead.”

Preston train station was evacuated following the incident, which is now being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

To compound Carly’s misery, she says flowers left at the station in Anthony’s memory have been moved four times.

She said: “They’ve moved the flowers to where the weekend drunks walk.

“When I went to view his body, the police brought the flowers to the mortuary.

“I wanted to put them where the freight train is, it’s nowhere near the public, the public can’t even get there but the excuse was in case people decide to run across two train tracks to look at them.”

Describing her brother as “lovable”, Carly added: “He was a character. He was always very polite once you got to know him. He was the best uncle to Courtney.”

A British Transport Police spokesman said: “We can confirm that as a result of our initial assessment following the death of a 33-year-old man at Preston station, British Transport Police has referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

“Officers from BTP were called to the station shortly before 9.30pm to reports of a person shoplifting. They attended the station and spoke with a man.

“That man left the officers and, in the following period, is believed to have come into contact with the overhead lines above a freight train in the nearby depot. His death is currently being treated as unexplained.”

An IPCC spokesperson said: “We understand, at this time, that officers were pursuing the man on foot and he later came into contact with overhead lines and sadly died at the scene.

“The IPCC is assessing the incident to determine if an investigation is required.”