SECURITY cameras, safety officers and volunteer station watchers are among the crime-cracking measures being considered for Dorset's railways.

Calls have been made to stamp out crime at stations by introducing tough new measures to deter crooks, vagrants and vandals.

Weymouth-Waterloo operator South West Trains said it would like to work with user groups, the British Transport Police and councils to discuss action plans.

The Weymouth and Portland Public Transport Forum told representatives from the British Transport Police and South West Trains that it was keen to see problems sorted out at Weymouth station and security stepped up at Upwey which suffers from vandalism and graffiti.

It wants the train company to consider the possibility of appointing volunteer station watchers who would keep an eye on the platforms at Upwey in return for free travel opportunities.

Forum chairman Jim Churchouse said: "Similar schemes are already operating at isolated stations in Hampshire and we'd like South West Trains to consider this scheme for Dorset.

"It would be like a neighbourhood watch but covering the railway station. Information could be passed on in return for free train journeys.

"The station watchers would have to operate on a regular basis otherwise it would be pointless."

Dave Gaudoin of South West Trains told the meeting station watchers were being considered.

He said there were no plans to introduce CCTV across the network but the company may consider it at problem stations.

David Redgewell of Transport 2000 said Upwey was "slowly disintegrating" because of the vandalism and he successfully called for the forum to write to the Strategic Rail Authority to ask for cash for CCTV.

The forum also said it would like to see special constables patrolling stations.

Sergeant Derek Bish of British Transport Police told the forum there had been 54 reported crimes at Weymouth station in the past year. He said: "I'm sure there's more crime than that going on but it is not being reported to us.

John Brooks of the Weymouth Station Taxi Association said the police presence had been increased at the station because drivers had recently been given a freephone number to call to report trouble.

A spokesman for South West Trains said today plans for station watchers were in the pipeline and the company was considering expanding the number of travel safety officers who patrol trains and crime-ridden stations.