Overall crime on Sutton buses has fallen by eight per cent since Boris Johnson became Mayor but the number of thefts is surging.
New figures show that thefts and handling offences on the network were up from 52 to 72, an increase of 38 per cent in one year.
Thirteen sexual offences were also reported, two more than in 2007-08, but robberies, vandalism and drug offences were all down.
Mr Johnson released the statistics as he launched the last of 32 policing teams dedicated to patrolling transport hubs around the capital.
He said: “Crime on buses has fallen in every single borough, including Sutton, and this is in no small part thanks to the increased number of officers around our transport network.
“There is still a lot of work to be done and we will be working tirelessly to build on this success.”
Transport for London said there were now just 13 crimes for every million bus journeys taken.
• Get the latest crime figures in our Local Information section
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