More police are set to take to London's buses in a bid to cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour on the capital's routes.

Making good on his campaign promise to focus on crime, new mayor Boris Johnson announced that 440 uniformed police will patrol London's bus stations.

He has not yet announced whether or not they will be patrolling routemasters, which he promised to bring in to replace the bendy buses.

The extra police presence on the transport networks is designed to stamp out "minor crime" in a policy imported from New York.

Johnson also stressed that "recent tragic events" necessitated the extra policing presence.

Among the powers at police disposal will be the right to remove youngsters' right to free travel by seizing their oyster card.

Johnson has proposed that they can earn that right back by performing social or community service.

The focus on youth is a consequence of the 55 per cent rise in crime on buses since 2005, when under 16s were given the right to travel for free.


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