1st June 2026
Luke Myer MP has welcomed another plain clothes police operation on buses across south Middlesbrough, following antisocial behaviour on local routes last year.
Middlesbrough South Neighbourhood Policing Team carried out the operation over the weekend, with support from Stagecoach. Plain clothes officers travelled on ‘Trojan buses’ across Hemlington, Coulby Newham and Park End to identify antisocial behaviour and criminal activity.
The operation follows earlier work in Hemlington last year, where reports of young people throwing objects at buses had led to some services being cancelled. Luke urged police, council and transport partners to work together to tackle the problem. The Trojan Bus operation last year led to a direct arrest, another young person being dealt with for separate offences, and further young people being identified through Middlesbrough Council’s antisocial behaviour process. In Parliament, Luke commended the operation:
“In the community of Hemlington in my constituency, there have recently been disgraceful attacks on bus drivers and buses by young people in the community. I commend the work of Cleveland Police, which responded using an innovative so-called Trojan bus filled with plain-clothes police officers who then arrested and apprehended the individuals committing those crimes.”
Hansard, 1 July 2025
The Government’s then Policing Minister at the time, Dame Diana Johnson, also said that
“Trojan Bus is a brilliant example of how bespoke local tactics are being used up and down the country to make a real difference to communities, alongside the nationwide effort to put more police officers back on the beat and increase visible patrols.”
The Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will put 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles by the end of this Parliament. Cleveland Police has already seen 48 new neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs take post in the last year, alongside an additional £2.4 million in Government neighbourhood policing funding. The Government’s Bus Services Act also includes new support for bus drivers on handling ASB, and the Crime & Policing Act includes stronger powers for police such as Respect Orders, longer dispersal powers, higher fines for breaches of PSPOs and Community Protection Notices, and stronger powers to seize offroad bikes.
However, Luke has also continued to campaign for an overhaul of the police funding formula, arguing that Cleveland’s small population but high levels of deprivation and crime are not properly reflected by the current system. In response to questions from Luke in Parliament in April, Policing Minister Sarah Jones acknowledged that the current formula is “not fit for purpose” and needed to change.
The Trojan Bus operation has been widely recognised as a successful example of effective partnership working.
Stagecoach North East Managing Director, Steve Walker, said:
“Our buses are a safe, convenient, cost-effective and sustainable way to travel and we’re committed to working alongside our partners to ensure they remain that way. Through initiatives such as the Trojan Bus, we want to make it clear that any kind of antisocial behaviour will simply not be tolerated.”
Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Cllr Ian Blades, said:
“We will continue to work closely with the Neighbourhood Police Team and other partners to identify those responsible, and put a stop to this on behalf of law-abiding members of the community.
“Above all I would appeal to parents – you are responsible for the behaviour of your children, and you owe it to them to prevent them embarking on a course of action that could all too easily blight the rest of their lives.”
Luke Myer MP said:
“I commend Middlesbrough South Neighbourhood Policing Team on another successful Trojan Bus operation. It is a clever bit of policing, and it works.
“People in Hemlington, Coulby Newham and Park End should be able to get the bus without drivers being targeted, passengers feeling unsafe, or services being disrupted because of a small number of yobs.
“This is what residents want to see: visible policing and targeted action where problems are happening. I will keep pushing in Parliament for Cleveland Police to get the fair funding and frontline resources our area needs.”
Residents who witness crime or antisocial behaviour on public transport should report it via 101 or through the Cleveland Police website. Always call 999 in an emergency.