TWO brothers have been jailed after an ill-fated copper cable theft from the railway saw a man fatally electrocuted.

John and Jason Tusting, along with James Payne, broke into a remote trackside substation between Penge West and Sydenham at around 5.30am on December 4 last year.

They stole copper strips but the burglary went wrong and James Payne was fatally electrocuted.

At Blackfriars Crown Court on Friday (August 12) Jason Tusting, of Brockley Mews, Honor Oak, was sentenced to four years and eight months.

The 23-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage recklessly endangering life and perverting the course of justice.

And his 26-year-old brother, of Burnt Ash Hill, Lee, was jailed for four years.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage recklessly endangering life.

British Transport Police spokesman Detective Sergeant Pete Thrush said: "While Jason and John Tusting have now been sentenced for what they did, James Smith paid the highest price for this incident, with his life.

"His death serves as a sad and clear reminder of the dangers posed by accessing prohibited parts of the rail network."