Police are to carry out undercover filming at a number of Scots level crossings in a bid to warn drivers of the dangers of ignoring warnings.

Officers in the Highlands will be targetting a level crossing where three people were killed last year.

Angus MacKay died alongside his wife Margaret and brother Donald MacKay in Halkirk, Caithness in September last year when their car was hit by a train.

Earlier this month a man was charged following a collision between a train and a van on the same crossing.

West Lothian Police are also involved in the scheme, with officers targetting a level crossing which has been named one of the country's five most dangerous.

On Monday, police will film motorists using the crossings in Halkirk and Kirknewton in unmarked police cars.

Officers will also be distributing leaflets and giving advice on the safe use of level crossings.

The initiative is part of a drive to educate motorists on the dangers posed by the passages.

Inspector Bob Cameron, the officer charge of the north sector of British Transport Police (BTP), said: "Operation Galley is the BTP initiative which sees motorists at crossings throughout Scotland stopped and issued with essential advice about the proper procedure when using level crossings on the rail network.

"Using cameras for the first time will allow us to show any driver who does misuse a crossing and make them aware of their actions, as well as being able to use the footage as evidence.”

BTP said that in 2009 they dealt with 185 incidents in Scotland related to motorists failing to obey a road traffic sign.

Inspector Cameron added: "The statistics for accidents at level crossings make chilling reading and drivers must realise that there will only be one loser if crossings are not used in the way they were designed.

"It is unfortunate that there are still those who think they can take a risk when approaching a level crossing, and in these cases we will have no hesitation in prosecuting them."

Operation Galley will see officers situated at crossings across Caithness including Halkirk, Borrobol, Watten and Hoy.