Fall in violent crime on the Tube

The number of robberies on the London Underground has fallen by nearly 30 per cent in the past year, according to police figures.

Thefts, including pick-pocketing, were also down by 18 per cent to 6,134, compared with 7,481 in the previous 12 months. There was a smaller reduction in the number of violent crimes overall on the Tube and DLR, down from 2,215 to 2,158 in the 2008/09 figures.

Robberies fell by 29.2 per cent this year to 136 but there were increases in drug offences and incidents of bikes and cars being damaged or stolen at stations. At total of 338 sex offences were committed this year on the transport network — an increase of two per cent on last year.

The overall number of crimes fell by more than eight per cent to 15,109 offences in 2008/09, compared with 16,445 the previous year. Assaults on LU staff were down by five per cent.

British Transport Police Deputy Chief Constable Andy Trotter attributed the fall in crime to the introduction of 30 policing teams.