BUS users across Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea are less likely to become a victim of crime than this time last year according to the latest figures released.

Transport for London (TfL) published the up-to-date statistics showing criminal damage, robbery, theft, violence against the person, drug, and sexual offences committed on buses across the three boroughs in 2009/10 last week.

They showed that the majority had dropped from 2008/09 with thefts on buses in Westminster down from 1,464 to 1,288 and the number of robberies on K&C buses down from 33 to 23.

The only figure with an increase year-on-year was the number of sexual offences in H&F which rose from 13 to 17.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who allocated an extra 400 police officers onto public transport since his election in 2008, has vowed to continue working to make the capital's public transport even safer.

He said: "When I became Mayor I pledged to make public transport safer, so it is extremely encouraging to hear that bus crime is now at its lowest level in six years.

"We will not cease in our efforts to make London's buses safer than ever."

Chief superintendent Joe Royal, of Met Police Safer Transport Command, said: "We shall continue to tackle and further reduce bus related crime and instil even more confidence in the public who use the transport network."

Bus crimes in London fell by a total of eight per cent with one crime committed per ever one million passengers.

CRIME FIGURES

Criminal Damage

2009/10: H&F; 28. K&C; 14. Westminster; 105.

2008/09: H&F; 23. K&C; 25. Westminster; 133.

Drugs

2009/10: H&F; 8. K&C; 5. Westminster; 168.

2008/09: H&F; 14. K&C; 7. Westminster; 202.

Fraud/Forgery

2009/10: H&F; 5. K&C; 5. Westminster; 44

2008/09: H&F; 3. K&C; 7. Westminster; 40.

Robbery

2009/10: H&F; 49. K&C; 23. Westminster; 108.

2008/09: H&F; 34. K&C; 33. Westminster; 118.

Sexual Offences

2009/10: H&F; 17. K&C; 9. Westminster; 24.

2008/09: H&F; 13. K&C; 13. Westminster; 34.

Theft & Handling

2009/10: H&F; 264. K&C; 276. Westminster; 1,288.

2008/09: H&F; 296. K&C; 345. Westminster; 1,464.

Violence against the Person

2009/10: H&F; 245. K&C; 65. Westminster; 457.

2008/09: H&F; 255. K&C; 91. Westminster; 478.