Get rid of bus station with built-in crime, says police chief

One of Harrow's top police officers has admitted the town's bus station needs to be replaced to reduce crime.

Borough commander Richard Walton said a new strategy was required to police the town centre bus station, which he would also prefer to see replaced with hubs across the borough.

In July the layout of the station was described at a Harrow Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting as having "designed-in crime" and being costly to police, despite having CCTV.

Chief inspector Nick Davies said: "The design of the bus station does make it difficult to police because it is not open plan. Anything smaller is easier to police.

"You wouldn't have built it that way if you were starting now.

"We have done a lot already to make it safer with CCTV, knife arches and safer neighbourhood teams."

Mr Walton also said he would investigate incidents reported at Harrow Weald bus garage, where early morning bus drivers were having to deal with drunk passengers refusing to pay their fares.

The police's comments were echoed by a local transport group.

Anthony Wood, chairman of the Harrow Public Transport Users' Association, said: "Richard Walton is right, the bus station is not fit for purpose.

"There was a proposal two years ago to replace it, but with Metronet going into administration the funds were not available.

"The plan is to improve the bus station as the current demand is not being met."

Mr Wood believes the installation of CCTV two years ago and the playing of classical music inside the station had calmed the atmosphere.

Susan Hall (Con), deputy leader of the council and portfolio holder for community safety, said: "In an ideal world the bus station would not have been designed the way it was - in an ideal world we would have enough money to pay to replace it.

"A lot of the problem around those areas is the fact that so many youths hang around, but the perception of danger is worse than anything else.

"We have to put this in context, but this is one of the places we are worried about.

"We are looking at it and Transport for London are involved and we are doing everything that we can, but it is not up to us."

Councillor Hall added that the council had invested nearly £500,000 over the next two years on a team to police the town centre, which included the bus station.