POLICE officers in Salisbury are going undercover on the buses in a bid to stamp out antisocial behaviour and vandalism.

The plain clothes officers aim to put a stop to people abusing drivers and damaging vehicles.

During the past six months, there have been at least 20 incidents involving evening bus services to and from Bemerton Heath.

These have included people verbally abusing drivers, throwing items at them or interfering with the buses.

Sergeant Mike Gething, of Salisbury police, said it was the drivers, not the passengers, who were being targeted, mainly by groups of youths congregating near bus stops or along bus routes.

Wilts & Dorset Bus Company, whose number 52 service has borne the brunt of the attacks, has had to question whether the company will continue to operate the routes through Bemerton Heath.

District manager Gerald Good said withdrawal of these services would have a significant impact on the community.

He confirmed that the company had already been forced to employ older-style buses along the route in question.

"The use of such vehicles has adversely affected the level of service that can be provided to some sections of the community, such as disabled passengers," he said.

Sgt Gething said that efforts by police over the past few months in putting a stop to these incidents had had limited success, although February saw only two incidents of a similar nature in the area.

Drivers had been given aide-memoires to help them provide the best possible information to police and there had been an increase in uniformed officers on the buses during the evenings.

He said that, over the course of the next few weeks, community officers would be in plain clothes on and off the buses, identifying offenders and deterring and detecting offences.

"People found disrupting or attempting to disrupt bus services or causing alarm to passengers and drivers will be dealt with firmly," he said.

He appealed to residents to help by coming forward with as much detail as possible if they witnessed an incident.

Anyone with information should contact Salisbury police, on 01722 411444, or Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.

Last month, in Downton Road, a driver was punched in the face when he asked a passenger with no money, for his fare.