ALMOST 60 crimes a month are committed at North-East train stations, according to figures uncovered by The Northern Echo.

In a ten-month period, between April last year and January this year, there were 593 crimes at eight stations between Newcastle and York, including 71 serious assaults and 20 sex attacks.

The station with the most crime was Newcastle, followed by York.

Yesterday, a British Transport Police (BTP) chief inspector said both stations were popular with stag and hen nights, which led to problems.

Sunderland's underground train station was the site of almost all the sex attacks in the North-East with 14 reported cases.

The figures were released by the BTP following a request from The Northern Echo under the Freedom of Information Act. The stations included in the research are: Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, Northallerton, York, Chester-le-Street, Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

The BTP said the crime statistics should be put into context with the millions of passengers who pass through the stations every year.

Chief Inspector Jane Kitchen said: "The chance of passengers becoming a victim of crime is very small."

She said the type of crime at stations mirrored the type of crimes affecting the towns and cities they served.

Ms Kitchen said: "Our priority crimes in the North-East are trespassing and vandalism, including people who throw articles at trains.

"We have already seen a marked success in reducing vehicle crime.

"We are very conscious that people feel safe and have increased the visibility of police officers during main commuting times."

There were 236 crimes at Newcastle station, including 36 serious assaults, four sex attacks and one robbery, 32 crimes at Durham, including three serious assaults and 54 crimes in Darlington, including four serious assaults.

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said: "There are more than 20 closed-circuit television cameras around the station which feed live pictures into the town hall. The cameras have greatly reduced problems at the station."

There were 44 crimes in Middlesbrough, including ten serious assaults and one sex attack.

Despite being on the main GNER line, there were only six crimes in Northallerton and six at Chester-le-Street, none violent.

There were 183 crimes at York, including 14 serious assaults and one sex attack and 32 crimes in Sunderland, including seven serious assaults and 14 sex attacks.