A security squad deployed to combat a spate of violence and anti-social behaviour on the Tyne and Wear Metro will be staying for years to come.
The 24-strong team was brought in earlier this year following a string of incidents, particularly in North Tyneside, that led some to brand the Metro a “no go” area. Transport bosses have now confirmed that the extra security staff have been retained for another three years, after helping to cut anti-social behaviour and crime by more than half.
Metro operator Nexus said that there were more than 100 incidents reported across the 17 stations in North Tyneside this April, but that had been cut to fewer than 50 during the summer months.
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A spokesperson added: “Our security team have done a great job deterring anti-social behaviour on Metro and we have agreed to retain them for a further three years. The safety and security of our customers is our top priority.
“Putting this new team in place has been a really effective step and it is something which has greatly re-assured our customers, especially those travelling in the evenings. The security team will continue to offer roving patrols and a static presence at stations, dovetailing with our existing customer service teams and the police.
“Targeted patrols and fixed station security along with close co-operation with the police and council, and a tough approach to fare evasion through roving ticket checks, is proving effective in reducing anti-social behaviour on Metro, and in North Tyneside in particular. The security team has been provided on top of the extra customer service teams we have had in place since November last year, and the dedicated police patrols we get from the Northumbria Police, and from the British Transport Police on the Sunderland line.”
The security squad, which patrols flashpoints on the Metro network mainly between 3pm and midnight, was first deployed in March. That came at a time when there were rising reports of young people and Nexus staff being attacked amid disorder at stations like Tynemouth and Palmersville.
Nexus said there were 106 security incidents at North Tyneside stations in April, compared to 46 and 47 in the two periods covering June, July and August.
Last month, councillors in North Tyneside urged Metro bosses to install ticket barriers at Cullercoats and Tynemouth in a bid to deter fare-dodging troublemakers from taking “free travel” to the beach. A motion put forward by the borough’s Conservatives at a North Tyneside Council meeting complained that trouble had ranged from “vandalism and criminal damage to knife attacks and assaults and our residents have been left to pick up the mess”.
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