Reports of vandalism on rail lines rose by nearly 13% last year, the latest figures show.

Junior transport minister David Jamieson told the House of Commons on Thursday that 15,075 vandalism offences were reported to the British Transport Police in 2001-02.

The figures were released in the same week that sabotage was suggested as a possible cause of the Potters Bar crash in which seven people died.

The minister said the figures for last year compared with 13,349 the previous year and 12,855 in 1998-99.

Counting the cost

Meanwhile the numbers of people charged - both children and adults - or summoned to court for offences, has also risen.

It has gone up by 12% to 2,200, but was still 62 lower than in 1998-99.

Reported trespass offences also rose slightly but fewer were charged for the offence.

Vandalism on the tracks has become a big financial as well as safety issue for British Transport Police.

Acts of vandalism

2001-02 15,075 1999-2000 13,349 1998-99 12,855

Damage to the rail network across the UK costs �26m a year and forces have been coming up with ingenious ways to try to tackle the rise.

In Wales, a helicopter has been drafted in to try to spot offenders from the sky.

While in the West Midlands, more undercover officers have gone on patrol and posters have been distributed to schools to warn them of the dangers of playing on railway lines.

Jarvis, the company in charge of maintaining the line at Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, announced it had photographs showing the points on the fated track had been tampered with.

The company says they prove that two sets of nuts had been removed and another set had been adjusted in the 48 hours before the accident.