Railway safety has come under attack from the Bishop of Oxford in the wake of the Paddington train disaster.

In a stinging criticism, the Rt Rev Richard Harries blasted the British Rail system as having "one of the lowest safety standards in Europe".

The Bishop said: "For a long time we have laughed about Britain's trains being slow and out of date, but I think that laughter has turned to anger now.

"Britain's railways have one of the lowest safety standards in Europe."

He welcomed the Government's announcement that responsibility for rail safety was to be removed from Railtrack and given to an independent body.

"There is a conflict of interest when the body that builds the track is also responsible for its safety. It is highly desirable that responsibility is given to an independent body.

"People in this part of the world feel particularly churned about this because hundreds of us go up to London on a train like that every day. It is everybody's nightmare to be on that train, trapped in a burning carriage. "

The Bishop's criticism comes as latest estimates put the death toll from last Tuesday's disaster at about 40.

Despite earlier estimates that the remains of at least 30 passengers might be found in carriage H, at the front of the Great Western express, a search has revealed only one body. The official figure is currently 30.

However, police warned as many as ten more bodies could be found today when the carriage is lifted, possibly revealing victims trapped underneath. Prayers were said in churches across Oxfordshire for those involved in or affected by the tragedy.

The Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Hugo Brunner, visited All Saints' Church in Didcot on Saturday to offer support to local families affected by the crash. The church was open for prayer and the lighting of candles in memory of the dead.

The Rector, the Rev Philip Dallaway, said: "People came here to say thanks for relatives and friends who survived and to pray for those whose fate is not yet known.

A memorial service will be held in St Peter's, Didcot, at 3pm on Sunday.

Story date: Monday 11 October

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