THE number of crimes committed on the Tube fell by four per cent in the past year.

Figures released today by British Transport Police (BTP) show there was drop in overall crime, with violent crime down by nearly eight per cent and public disorder by about 23 per cent, between April last year and April this year.

Incidents of criminal damage fell by more than 17 per cent, sexual offences were down three per cent and drugs offences by more than 21 per cent.

However, there was an increase of almost 11 per cent in the number of thefts from passengers,theft of railway property rose by nearly seven per cent and robbery by about one per cent.

But police said they had already started to reduce pick-pocketing, by putting plain-clothes officers on trains as part of an ongoing operation.

BTP Chief Constable Andy Trotter said: "Pickpockets are out in crowded places every day looking for opportunities to steal whether it be on the street or on trains.

"They travel to large cities in the UK with the sole intention of stealing and will use the cover of crowded spaces to target anyone whose wallets, phones and valuables are not well concealed.

"As part of Operation Silence our plain-clothes pickpocket squads, who are trained in identifying pickpocket behaviour, are out on Tube stations and trains everyday spotting offenders and arresting them.

"We have a team of specialist officers who are working with other agencies both in the UK and internationally to trace the money trail and identify those who are at the top of the organisation of pickpocketing."

The BTP is asking members of the public to keep their valuables safe when travelling on the Tube to help reduce the number of thefts.

Ch Cons Trotter said they had increased the number of officers patrolling at stations after 8pm in a bid to reduce fear of crime.

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