HC Deb 06 November 2003 vol 412 cc728-9W
Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions there have been by British Transport Police for acts of vandalism on(a) on tube trains, (b) in tube stations and (c) on tube lines in each of the last 10 years. [136524]

Mr. McNulty

Vandalism is not classified as a crime group but the offence of criminal damage is the closest equivalent. Prosecutions are a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service. However, the BTP have provided the information in Table 1 regarding the number of people arrested, summonsed or charged with criminal damage in the past six years, which is the maximum period for which reliable data are available. Table 2 shows the total number of criminal damage offences reported and cleared for the last 10 years. Table 3 gives a breakdown for criminal damage offences reported and cleared, split between tube stations, tube lines and tube trains for the last four years, the maximum period for which reliable data are available.

Table 1
Time period (1 October-30 September) Number of Persons Arrested Charged/Summonsed for criminal damage offences
1997–98 92
1998–99 75
1999–2000 82
2000–01 98
2001–02 64
2002–03 152

Table 2
Criminal Damage Offences (1 April-31 March) Reported Cleared
2002–03 925 119
2001–02 725 139
2000–01 693 136
1999–2000 697 135
1998–99 715 173
1997–98 896 336
1996–97 780 187
1995–96 978 191
1994–95 1,042 154
1993–94 1,391 122

Table 3
Criminal Damage Offences (1 April-31 March) 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03
Offences at tube stations: 376 340 366 361
Cleared: 85 96 92 70
Offences on tube lines: 46 26 65 125
Cleared: 10 20 14 8
Offences on tube trains: 295 292 302 426
Cleared: 34 31 32 41
Total Offences: 717 658 733 912
Cleared: 129 147 138 119

Data in Table 3 differ slightly from data in Table 2 as it has been extracted on crime committed date as opposed to approved date. A crime report has an approved date, which is the date the crime report has been evaluated and is often different to the date committed. Therefore crime figures will differ slightly depending on which date is used.