CCTV cameras will be fitted to school buses across the Cotswolds in a bid to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.

A pilot scheme, that involved buses at Siir William Romney's School in Tetbury, has been so successful with an 80 percent reduction in problems, that the initiative will now be rolled out across the rest of the county.

The Buscam scheme was introduced by the police and Gloucestershire County Council in six local schools in a bid to combat crime and bad behaviour on the school run.

Some of the serious incidents reported to police included pupils throwing treacle at old age pensioners from the top of a double decker bus. In one incident a rail was torn from the bus and thrown like a javelin.

Andrew Burford, of Gloucestershire County Council, said there were a number of "apocolyptical incidents" which prompted the need for CCTV monitoring on school transport.

"We have seen a drastic reduction in incidents of 80 percent. Some students have said that it has made a big difference to them. They are not arriving at school stressed," he said. "Within four years time every school bus in Gloucestershire will have CCTV."

PC Nicki Dannatt, of the police schools unit, said there had been one arrest made during the pilot project but there had been few incidents that needed police attention during the trial.

"It's a deterrent like any CCTV system. We have not had any negative feedback from the schools," she said.

"It is also making our work more efficient, as if anything is flagged up it is now possible to identify the offender quickly."

Sir William Romney’s head teacher Steven Mackay is a keen supporter of the initiative and was not surprised by the 80 percent drop in anti-social behaviour.

"The statistics are borne out by our own experiences in the school," he said.

"Over the last year I have not had to intervene with any difficulties on buses and from my perspective that is unusual."

Pupils from SWR are now working closely to help promote Buscam with pupils Declan Scott and Ben Wear designing the poster that will be displayed on all participating buses.