Vandals and robbers on Wandsworth's buses are being targeted after a £25million London-wide Transport Policing Unit was launched this week.

It is the first such dedicated unit in the UK and involves Transport for London (TfL), crime experts and Metropolitan Police intelligence officers who will gather information on criminal activity on 26 of the capital's busiest bus routes.

More than 500 specialist Met officers and traffic wardens will patrol buses, ready to respond immediately to reported crimes along the routes.

From October, the Victoria-based unit - funded by TfL - will cover Wandsworth's 137 route from Streatham to Oxford Circus, the 28 and 328 from Wandsworth to West Hampstead and the 220 from Wandsworth to Harlesden.

The move follows concern about graffiti vandals, robbers, attacks on drivers, ticket fraud and minicab touting on London's bus routes. Officers in the new unit will also crack down on cars parked illegally in bus lanes.

Only last month, a Clapham Junction bus driver was attacked by drunken England football fans after the World Cup game against Nigeria.

The Met also claim buses are used by street robbers to travel from town centre to town centre throughout London.

Though TfL does not hold figures specific to Wandsworth, almost 7,000 criminal incidents on buses were reported across London last year.

The targeted routes, covering 11 per cent of bus mileage and 15 per cent of routes in London, accounted for more than 30 per cent of reported crime.

The new uniformed presence comes after bus companies phased out conductors on most of their routes.

But a spokesman for First Centre West, operator of the 28 and 328, said improved CCTV footage on public transport had already reassured bus users.

He added: "Some members of the public feel more secure if they see someone on the bus. But the lack of a conductor is not a particularly big issue.

"We don't have a problem with graffiti but clearly a major concern is attacks on drivers. We do expect the unit to have immediate results."

What do you think about the unit? Have your say by e-mailing clillington@london.newsquest.co.uk or write to Chris Lillington, Wandsworth Borough News, Unecol House, 819 London Road, North Cheam, Surrey SM3 9BN.

July 8, 2002 17:30