Officers from Operation BusTag are keen to trace 12 smiling youngsters captured in CCTV stills as they damage Hounslow buses.

The dedicated team are responsible for identifying and prosecuting people who graffiti and carry out criminal damage on buses across London - and the Chronicle is helping them by publishing all 12 pictures in our picture gallery section.

Chief supt Joe Royle, of the transport operational command unit, said: "These people may think they have got away with it.They are wrong.

"If you do commit an act of bus criminal damage you will be caught and prosecuted with the aid of CCTV and any other means at our disposal."

Since BusTag was set up in November 2004, it has tripled its arrest rate of offenders for damaging buses.

If you recognise anyone in the pictures please call Operation Bus Tag on 020 7027 8950 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

The people pictured are not necessarily guilty of any offence. Their presence in the photograph may be entirely coincidental.