Mayor hails Tube crime fall

Ken Livingstone today announced a major success in cutting Tube crime.

A clampdown on the east end of the District line - one of the most violent areas of the London Underground network - showed a dramatic drop in the number of robberies, assaults and vandalism.

Attacks on both passengers and staff had increased so much that train drivers warned they would refuse to stop at stations where gangs of youths were hanging around.

British Transport Police concentrated on the District line, particularly between Barking and Upminster stations. Extra patrols include plain clothes officers and dog handlers in a blitz codenamed Operation Cyprus.

Latest statistics revealed by the Mayor showed that in the six months to the end of September robbery was down by 33 per cent, assaults on passengers by seven per cent, assaults on staff by 25 per cent and vandalism by 37 per cent.

There have been 75 arrests and 201 minor offences were dealt with. More than 700 stop checks were made and 450 penalty fares handed out. Police also issued 40 "dispersal warnings" to youths gathering in gangs.

Mr Livingstone said: "Over the last two years I have provided funding for an extra 200 British Transport Police officers for the Tube. I'm very pleased to see that this, together with the partnership between London Underground and the BTP, is cutting crime in east London."

The Mayor used the success to boost his bid to take over the London end of the mainline rail network. He wants to be given control of commuter routes within a 30-mile radius of the capital.

His authority, Transport for London (TfL,) was working with the BTP and train operating companies "to make national rail stations in London safer". He added: "Although overground rail services and stations are not part of TfL's network we are investing in extra CCTV, better lighting and later staffing at night.

"If given greater control over London's rail services through the Railway Bill we can expect TfL's safety blitz to roll out across the whole of our transport network, including London's stations," he said.

An Evening Standard campaign demanding greater safety at mainline commuter stations has already resulted in pledges to improve facilities.

It follows a damning report from the Rail Passengers Council which found that some stations are places where passengers "fear to tread" at night.

Violent crime on the Tube rose by 22.1 per cent for the year ending in March. Sex offences on LU rose five per cent. In August teenager Sayed Abbas was killed at Hounslow West Tube station.