'Trojan' bus is helping to battle nuisance behaviour

NORTHUMBRIA Police's ‘Trojan’ bus has been out in force again, now in Gateshead for the first time, helping officers take tough action at antisocial behaviour hotspots.

- OLIVIA SHEED

The bus was last deployed in North Northumberland.The tactic sees officers on board what appears to be a regular bus service, but it is in fact a staged service on route to pick up antisocial behaviour offenders at bus stops and stations and helps officers make any necessary arrests.

It is deployed in areas where antisocial behaviour has been previously reported.

Northumbria Police’s decoy bus is in conjunction with Go North East, and the initiative uses additional funding as part of Police Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth’s Project Shield, which was launched a year ago and has helped achieve a reduction in antisocial behaviour (ASB) in targeted areas.

Officers from the force interacted with people along the bus route, which saw them travel from Gateshead Town Centre to the Heworth, Felling, Leam Lane areas as well as the interchange at the Metro-centre.