CRIME on the borough’s buses has dropped sharply.

In the 12 months to April, the overall number of offences in Hillingdon dropped by 86, to 564, which is a 13.4 reduction on the previous year’s total of 651.

Of all recorded offences, criminal damage remains stubbornly high on buses in the borough, and the 75 incidences noted by Transport for London represent the second highest level of vandalism in London.

Only Croydon is higher.

Neighbouring Harrow’s overall bus crime rose by a 2.4 per cent compared with the previous year, making it the only West London authority area to suffer a percentage rise, although its overall numbers are lower.

Ealing achieved a whopping 25 per cent fall in overall bus crime but its raw numbers are much higher than Hillingdon.

Hounslow’s bus crime dropped by 8.3 per cent, to a lower level than Hillingdon.

However, comparing boroughs is fraught with difficulty, and many bus journeys cross from Hillingdon into the other three authority areas, and vice-versa.

But unlike train and Tube journeys, bus crime is recorded in the borough where the offence takes place.

The figures were released by Transport for London (TfL) last week, as part of a wider package of statistics showing that crime on the capital’s public transport networks is falling. This includes Tube, train, bus, Docklands Light Railway, tram and overground.

Overall, it is down 2.3 per cent, equal to 8.9 crimes per million passengers. Bus crime is down 7.6 per cent on average, so Hillingdon’s 13.4 per cent reduction compares well.

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s acting director for community, safety and enforcement and policing, said: “We want all users of our services to travel safely and with confidence and we will continue to work with our transport policing partners to ensure the network remains safe.”

And British Transport Police (BTP) Chief Superintendent Paul Brogden said: “BTP officers are out patrolling the Tube every day to deter crime and deal with those who do offend.

“Plain clothes officers are highly-trained in spotting the kind of body language and behaviour that shows someone is intent on theft.”

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