The cameras will link to a police control centre

The cameras feature digital quality monitoring and recording facilities giving pin-sharp clarity on footage.

This can be used as evidence against offenders in court.

In addition to covering metro stations and interchanges, adjacent car parks, footpaths and subways will be monitored.

Cameras will be linked to control rooms in all Tyne and Wear local authority areas, as well as to the metro's own control centre at South Gosforth and Northumbria Police.

Nexus hopes to have the full system in place by Spring 2003.

Director General, Mike Parker, said: "Passenger safety is our number one priority and so we're absolutely delighted to receive government approval for the system.

"Surveys of Metro passengers, including feedback from surgeries held around the system, show that security tops the list of passenger concerns.

"We know that passengers will be pleased to learn that we're doing everything possible to ensure their safety."

Frequent vandalism

Police have previously responded to the frequent vandalism on the Tyne and wear metro by making regular patrols on trains and around stations.

They also targeted the system's car parks where objects have been thrown at passing trains.

The hooliganism often gets worse during the school summer holidays.

In 1998, Nexus attempted to cut crime by playing classical music on loudspeakers to deter youngsters from hanging around the vandal-hit Shiremoor station.