Figures released by the Conservatives have shown vandalism is on the rise on London's transport network.

Bickley Station in Bromley was named as the worst in the country, having had 87 instances of vandalism in the 2005/06 period.

Only three acts of vandalism were reported in 2001/02 at the same station.

Other London stations, including Clapham Junction, have seen incidents as much as triple over the last five years.

London Bridge, which reported no instances of vandalism in 2001/02, had 33 cases in 2005/06.

The figures come only a week after seven London stations were revealed to amongst the ten worst in the country for assaults on passengers.

Added to concerns about the rising cost of public transport to the public, the issue is likely to fuel criticism of London's transport chiefs.

Fare prices increased by as much as 33% for some journeys on railways and the Underground on 1 January.

The Shadow Secretary for Transport, Chris Grayling, restated his criticism of government transport policy that he made last week: "Sometimes these instances of vandalism only do superficial damage, but in other cases they can threaten the lives of passengers and staff. These figures are a real sign of the law and order problem on our railways.

"We've had promise after promise about making our railway stations more secure. If the government is serious about getting people out of their cars, then it needs to address safety on public transport more effectively than is currently the case."

The ten worst stations for vandalism in the UK

  • Bickley, south London
  • Farningham Road, Kent
  • Bushey, Herts
  • Leeds
  • London Victoria
  • Clapham Junction
  • Rochester, Kent
  • London Bridge
  • York
  • Gidea Park, East London