On 23 March 2026, Northumbria Police launched a new team of undercover officers to patrol Tyne and Wear Metro trains in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, to stop anti-social behaviour. The Trojan Metro project uses officers dressed in everyday clothes to blend in with passengers so they can spot and catch people breaking the law or causing trouble in real time. This move follows a trial period where the undercover approach proved to be a success in reducing crime on public transport.
During the first day of the project on 20 March 2026, police made six arrests for crimes including being drunk and disorderly, breaking bail conditions, and failing to turn up to court. Officers also set up metal-detecting arches at key stations to check for weapons, with roughly 1,000 people passing through them during the operation. At the same time, the team spent time speaking with over 200 passengers and local business owners to explain how the patrols work and to listen to their concerns about safety on the tracks.
Official data for 2026 shows that this type of policing is already having a positive impact, with anti-social behaviour on the Metro system falling by 36.5 per cent. The work is being paid for through Project Shield, which is a flagship safety programme that covers many different parts of the region. In the areas where this programme is active, general nuisance and bad behaviour have dropped by 24 per cent as police and local partners work together to target crime hotspots.
The officers assigned to these patrols are given special training to handle more than just loud or nuisance behaviour. They are taught how to track down drug dealers who use the rail network to move around and how to protect women and girls from violence or harassment. The team also keeps a close watch for vulnerable people, such as those who are reported missing or anyone struggling with their mental health, to ensure they are found and given the right support.
This rail project is based on a successful scheme that previously used decoy buses to catch offenders in other parts of the North East. Funding has now been secured by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria to keep these undercover patrols running for the next year. The police are working closely with the train operator, Nexus, the British Transport Police, and local councils to ensure that people in the community feel more confident and safe whenever they use the Metro.
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