May 30, 2001 12:13: AN OPERATION to target crime on the streets and buses of Lewisham has now been taken up by Manchester police.

Operation Seneca, a joint venture between Lewisham police and bus company Stagecoach, was piloted in the borough for three months last year.

The successful scheme, which combined pinhole CCTV cameras filming the inside and outside of the bus and fast-track reporting, led to 150 arrests and cut 999 calls by 50 a day. The scheme had been launched in 20 London boroughs and its own department is being set up at Scotland Yard.

Superintendent Jeff Harris of Lewisham police, who was invited to Manchester to help with negotiations between police and bus companies, said: "I am pleased a relatively simple and effective idea has been proven to work not just in this borough but across most of London."

The scheme is easily adaptable and buses can be placed on different routes within a matter of minutes.

Boroughs are using it to tackle various problems including graffiti and disorder.

The full results of Operation Butler, which used traffic wardens to keep red routes and bus lanes clear between New Cross Gate and Grove Park, are not yet available.

But police have confirmed 260 vehicles were removed or moved on last month.