TRANSPORT cops arrested 18 people during a five-day blitz on crime on buses.

Uniformed and plain-clothes officers from the Met’s Transport Operational Command Unit patrolled the 185 and 36 buses on their journeys through Lewisham.

They were brought in to tackle robberies and the possession of knives, firearms and drugs by criminals who often use buses to get around the borough.

South east Inspector Stuart Trayler said: “We aim to eradicate crime from the London bus network, making Lewisham’s streets safer for everyone.

“Reported crime was literally zero in the transport infrastructure while we were there last week.” Last week’s action, funded by Transport for London, saw arrests made for immigration offences, possession of drugs and knives, anti-social behaviour, ticket offences and an assault on a police officer.

Lewisham CID also plans to arrest two men after they jumped out of a car when a traffic warden, who was part of the operation, issued them a ticket.

The two men beat the warden up and broke her nose before running off. Insp Trayler says police know the identity of the two suspects.