Rise in robberies as railway crime falls

Crime on the railways is on the decrease but the number of pickpocketing offences has grown, British Transport Police reported yesterday.

Overall crime in 1994-95 fell 4 per cent with the number of violence and sexual offences down by almost one-fifth compared with 1993-94, the BTP annual report showed. But robberies - most in southern England - increased nearly 12 per cent to 1,846. Crime on British Rail was down more than 7 per cent but London Underground crime, mainly pickpocketing, rose 7.5 per cent - the first increase for seven years.