Bus crime falls after crackdown

Crime on buses was down 11% between April and September

High-visibility policing has led to a fall in crime on London's buses, according to the mayor's office.

There were 11% fewer offences committed between April and September compared with the same period in 2006, police figures show.

The number of crimes involving children aged under 16 has dropped by 19% over the same period.

Mayor Ken Livingstone said the Safer Transport Teams had made a "significant impact" on safety on buses.

Transport watchdog London Travelwatch welcomed the fall in crime but a spokesman said anti-social behaviour remained a concern.

Safer transport

The figures show there were 16,664 crimes on buses from April to September, down from 18,715 for the same period in 2006.

There are 1,200 officers dedicated to policing the bus network, at a cost of around £70m a year.

Mr Livingstone said: "These figures show clearly the significant effect that our introduction of safer transport teams is now having on bearing down on the small number of people who commit crime on the bus network.

"London's buses are a low-crime environment and with investment in extra police, comprehensive CCTV on buses and improved intelligence our passengers are better protected than ever before."