Northumbria Police runs covert 'Trojan horse' bus services

These buses could appear on any route

A police force is running "Trojan horse" bus services with officers undercover as passengers, in a bid to catch offenders.

Northumbria Police said it was working with Stagecoach to operate the "Trojan" service across north-east England.

It looks like a normal bus, operates as a regular service and serves scheduled stops and bus stations.

The force said it had already seen "promising results" after trialling the idea in South Tyneside.

Officers will run the services in areas known for high levels of anti-social behaviour.

Once on the way to a routine destination, officers will monitor the behaviour of passengers and arrest offenders.

'Keep people safe'

Gemma Calvert, neighbourhood inspector at Northumbria Police, said anti-social behaviour is "detrimental" to those relying on public transport.

"The Trojan bus in South Tyneside is just one innovative way we are tackling pockets of disorder and identifying those causing issues in hotspot area," she said.

"Already we're seeing some promising results and, with our partners, we will continue to use every tactic at our disposal to fight crime and keep people safe."

The Trojan horse service will also stop in areas where there have been reports of attacks on buses and anti-social behaviour more generally.

Bus stops have been damaged across Tyneside

This includes places where people have thrown stones at vehicles, vandalised bus shelters and where they ride motorcycles on paths, said Northumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness.

"It's early days but this bus has real potential to help officers make any necessary arrests," she said.

"People tell me they want public transport that's affordable, reliable and - crucially - safe. This bus can really help with that part and help improve the lives of those fed-up with the [anti-social behaviour] that goes on."

A spokesperson for Stagecoach North East, based in Sunderland, said the introduction of Trojan buses would help make a "positive difference" to passengers.

They added that the company has already introduced dedicated safety officers on some of its services to monitor behaviour.

However, it said that there were "small pockets" of anti-social behaviour on the transport network.