PUPILS' behaviour is to be monitored by CCTV cameras on buses ferrying them to and from school.

Digital cameras are being fixed to five of Thamesdown Transport's fleet of 22 yellow school buses as part of a £15,000 experiment to clampdown on vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Cameras are already installed on some public services across the town to act as a deterrent.

But now five school buses will each be fitted with eight cameras, which will be paid for by Swindon Council. They will be operational next week.

The five buses serve St Joseph's School, Ridgeway in Wroughton, Bradon Forest in Purton and Warneford School in Highworth.

It is hoped the cameras will prevent incidents like the one last September when police had to break up students after two rival schools clashed, wrecking a Thamesdown bus.

The bus, carrying pupils from St Joseph's, was brought to a standstill outside Headlands School in Cricklade Road by around 50 to 60 Headlands pupils who threw eggs and smashed a window, with some children attempting to storm the bus.

John Owen, managing director of Thamesdown Transport, said: "We will be able to look at images and identify, who, what, why, and how. I must say that compared to other parts of the country we're very fortunate here in Swindon with schoolchildren on buses.

"But we do have isolated incidents and anything that improves the travelling atmosphere and reduces insurance costs has to be a good thing. The system will pay for itself within about 18 months just through reducing insurance costs."

CCTV has been installed on around 20 of Thamesdown's 120 buses over the past two years at a cost of around £50,000.

But vandalism, mainly damage to seats and graffiti, costs the company around £20,000 each year and the firm employs one person especially to monitor and repair damaged seats.

St Joseph's School headteacher, Peter Wells, said: "I'm pleased school buses are being given the same level of safety and good order that applies to public service buses. It's important for everyone that passengers are safe and that they behave appropriately.

"The cameras will record any behaviour good or bad. It's good for everyone that safety will be improved."

If the experiment proves successful cameras could be installed on all school buses across the town with other providers like Stagecoach, Barnes and Dangerfield becoming involved.

Garry Perkins (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms) and the council's lead member for education said: "Home to school transport has an excellent safety record, but there have been incidents of bad behaviour that could have had serious consequences.

"There have always been problems with naughty school kids on buses and there have been one or two particular incidents in recent months hopefully CCTV will be enough of a deterrent to stop bad behaviour."

Each day around 2,000 children are taken to and from schools across the borough on buses.

Alan Ellison, of Ashton Keynes-based coach company Ellison's, said: "We had cameras in two of our coaches and they lasted a fortnight children stuck chewing gum on them and ripped a camera from the roof. Personally I think it's a waste of time."

Giles Sheldrick