David Blunkett discussed safety with bus drivers in Newport

Home Secretary David Blunkett, who visited the city's bus station on Friday, welcomed the new patrols.

He said he wanted to copy the Newport scheme elsewhere in the UK.

Newport Transport's bus service has been plagued by stone throwing attacks, violence and vandalism recently.

Drivers have been attacked and passengers injured and, in the last three months alone, �30,000 of damage has been caused.

But now six police community support officers have been recruited to act as "deterrents".

"People are calling out for a uniformed presence and this is what we are here for," said Deke Williams, one of the new officers.

New civilian officer Deke Williams patrols the buses

"It is all about preventing people from carrying out this vandalism.

"And although we have only been doing it for a few weeks now, I do think that it is working.

"Having people on board a bus in a uniform will put people off from carrying out the attacks."

The civilian officers, who will be joined by a further six recruits at the end of December, cannot carry out arrests but they are able to detain suspects.

Bus driver Robert Liddle, 36, said he had had first-hand experience of violence several times over the last 15 years.

"Gangs of young people throw bricks from the side of the road which smash the windows," he said.

"Drivers get threatened and even attacked.

"And the passengers are obviously very intimidated when incidents like this happen.

Driver Robert Liddle has suffered three assaults

"Sometimes it feels as if the gangs are organised - we had one incident recently where a gang of youths managed to open a window of a bus and threw in a lit firework.

"Passengers can get affected too - there was an occasion recently where a thrown stone broke through the windscreen and hit a young girl on the head.

"I just hope that by having someone on board in a uniform, it will help stop it," he added.

The home secretary said the civilian officers had important powers.

"They have got the power to detain, they can confiscate drink and they communicate directly with the police."

Having them around, he said, gave confidence to the public, to the driver and the staff and also meant police could be freed up to tackle other crimes.

"They are a preventative - just having them there is a deterrent," Mr Blunkett said.