I REFER to your report on Friday, March 7, entitled "No Go Zone -- buses taken off roads after brick bombardments".

Firstly, I would like to express my concern at recent incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Little Hulton area, which included missiles being thrown at buses by a group of young people. I am aware that the re-routing of bus services around Little Hulton by First Buses has caused distress and inconvenience to many local residents.

I was disappointed by your use of the term "no-go zone" to describe Little Hulton. I considered that to be unhelpful and a disservice to the many decent people who live in this area. While the incidents against buses are unacceptable, we should not lose sight that they were perpetrated by only a small number of offenders.

Greater Manchester Police and the Salford Crime and Disorder Partnership recognise the importance of addressing crime and anti-social behaviour affecting public transport.

Salford is one of only two districts in Greater Manchester to have established a partnership group involving the police, council, GMPTE, bus operators and Metrolink, to deal with these issues. The partnership will soon appoint a dedicated community safety officer to work with operators and communities to problem-solve where public transport crime issues arise.

In relation to the recent incidents in Little Hulton, the police and our partners are actively addressing such anti-social behaviour. The activity includes:

High profile policing along the main transport route through the area at weekends.

The gathering of video evidence to show parents or to support prosecutions at court.

A specific operation involving First Buses aimed at identifying and arresting offenders.

The leafleting of houses on the Kenyon Estate and the establishment of a confidential phone line to gather information.

Salford's Public Transport Crime Steering Group is looking at a variety of methods to help people to use public transport in safety. We intend to sign partners up to an early warning system which identifies routes at risk, which finds a way to avoid removing routes, and, if services are removed, to find ways to reinstate them as quickly as possible. We are keen to ensure that residents are kept informed by operators by as many means as possible.

I would like to stress that the police and our partners in the Salford Crime and Disorder Partnership are committed to working with all our partners and the community to make public transport in the city of Salford safer.

Brian Wroe

Chief Superintendent

Salford Divisional

Police Commander

And Joint Chair, Salford Crime & Disorder Partnership