Croydon is the stone-throwing capital of London, according to figures released by the British Transport Police (BTP).

More people chucked stones at trains and trams in Croydon than in any other borough over the past two years, with an average of one recorded incident almost every week.

Schoolchildren were labelled the most likely culprits as most incidents were reported after the school day or in the holidays.

Arena tram stop bore the brunt of the missiles being tossed around the borough, with nine instances of stone throwing in 2008 and 10 in 2009.

Inspector Jack Ioannou from Croydon BTP said: “Incidents of stonethrowing at trains and trams in Croydon have decreased significantly in the past few years as a result of proactive policing operations and the arrests of a number of prolific offenders.

“We find it is generally a problem after school and during school holidays and we want to send a clear message to any youngsters who may think this is a bit of fun that this type of behaviour can have serious consequences.

“Throwing stones is a form of criminal damage and we will arrest anyone found doing so.

“Not only can throwing stones and other missiles cause delays and cancellations to services, there is also the potential for a serious accident or injury to be caused to passengers and staff as a result of these offences.

“We have seen a decrease in these incidents after arresting a number of prolific offenders in the past few years but we recognise that there is more work to be done and will continue to target anyone who engages in this type of antisocial behaviour.

“In the meantime we urge any Croydon residents who witness stone-throwing at trains or tram services to report any incidents to get in touch.

Call BTP on 0800 405040, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.