Gang terror on trains

Passengers fled in terror as a gang charged through London commuter trains smashing more than 100 windows.

The vandals, believed to have been armed with iron bars, wrecked so many carriages that morning peak services were disrupted due to a shortage of stock.

When they finished with one train they boarded another and continued their spree.

Northfleet station in Kent was also attacked. Damage to equipment was so severe that part of it remained shut today. A spokeswoman for South Eastern Trains (SET) said: "This was just wanton destruction for the sake of it."

The attacks on the trains took place in the Gravesend and Northfleet area. A spokesman for British Transport Police said five people, all believed to be male, had been arrested and were being questioned today. The damage amounts to tens of thousands of pounds.

The resulting disruption worsened already severe overcrowding on the busiest commuter lines in Britain, serving Charing Cross and Cannon Street stations.

SET was forced to cancel five Metro trains and reduce the number of carriages on other services.

The spokeswoman added: "There were more than 100 windows smashed. We have had to cancel some peak services today because of the sheer volume of damage.

"We were able to repair some windows - but our depots do not carry that amount of replacement windows."

Police and rail chiefs are increasingly concerned about the huge increase in vandalism.

Latest statistics for the year ending last March show a 31.5 per cent increase in criminal damage on Britain's railways.

There was a 14 per cent increase in violent crime. The South-East is one of the worst affected regions.

Long-distance Kent commuters also suffered more delays today because night engineering work, the responsibility of Network Rail, failed to finish on time.

Early commuters on the Hastings line suffered long delays. Engineers, who should have completed their work by 4am failed to finish until 6.30am. This resulted in some cancellations and delays.

Engineering work over-ran in the Hastings and Robertsbridge area.

There was also another late finish of work at Canterbury, which caused delays to early services into Victoria.