Transport police hit by £9m cuts

Guarding London's trains against terrorist attacks has become a "nightmare" because of underfunding, the chief of the British Transport Police is warning.

In a report by MPs published today, BTP Chief Constable Ian Johnston says the force could face "serious difficulties" protecting commuters from crime and terrorism in future.

The Commons transport select committee condemns a lack of investment in the service, finding that:

The report comes as sharp rises in violent crime, sexual offences and criminal damage are being recorded on London's overland and Underground rail systems. The most up-to-date figures show violent crime rose more than 22 per cent on the Tube between 2002/3 and 2003/4, while sexual offences increased by five per cent and criminal damage went up 63.1 per cent in the same period.

On overland trains north of the Thames, sexual offences rocketed by 25.6 per cent, while south of the river the rise was

15.5 per cent. Violent crime on north London railways rose by 20.2 per cent.

BTP's day-to-day funding comes from the rail industry but Transport for London pays for 100 extra officers to work on the Underground. The British Transport Police Authority, responsible for managing the service, will face increased costs of at least ?3 million a year after being classified as a "non-departmental public body" by the Government. The costs have, however, been waived for next year.

Nonetheless, Mr Johnston told MPs he believed the overland network will lose "a minimum of 50 officers next year", and the BTP's 16-strong team of officers trained to deal with nuclear, chemical and radiological attack was also at risk.

The Department of Transport only agreed to fund the team for one year because it "took the view that this was the responsibility of the industry", said Mr Johnston. "We are not going to withdraw them ... but this is a funding issue that gives us a constant headache and a planningnightmare." The report also reveals that policing key stations during football matches swallows up eight per cent of BTP's resources every year.

Mr Johnston said: "The football industry should be putting its hand in its pocket beyond what it does at the moment, which is funding the policing costs within the ground."

Andy Trotter, deputy chief constable of BTP, said: "The present funding arrangements for BTP are totally inadequate. The force is on the front line of counter-terrorist policing, and the fight against street crime and anti-social behaviour." He added that a lack of investment had "resulted in uncertainty and a crumbling infrastructure". Sir Alistair Graham, chairman-designate of the British Transport Police Authority, said he and Mr Johnston had arranged meetings with Transport Secretary Alistair Darling to discuss the problems.

But he added: "I do not like the situation where the chief constable has to go hawking himself around to see if he can get access to pots of money, whether it is for terrorism or any other policing issue."

Gwyneth Dunwoody, chairwoman of the transport select committee, described the state of affairs as ridiculous.