Rail travellers in West Yorkshire have to cope with trains which can be late, cancelled, or overcrowded. The last thing they need as well is criminals who target them and their property.

They want to be able to travel without needing to worry that they could be a victim of crime, or that they might be jostled or abused by a gang of yobs, or that the car they have parked near their local station might have been broken into when they return to it.

So there is bound to be a general welcome for news of a crackdown on crime and vandalism on the Airedale line between Skipton and Bradford and Leeds via a dedicated police team.

Four officers and a dog might not seem a lot to cover a valley line which includes Bingley, Crossflatts, Frizinghall, Keighley, Saltaire, Shipley and Steeton and Silsden stations as well as all the miles of track in between. However, it is surely enough to enable them to carry out regular high-visibility patrols to let the troublemakers and criminals know that if they misbehave there is now an increased chance of them being arrested.

The intention is to make the line "a safer environment". That applies not only to the people who travel on it but also to those who are tempted to stray on it.

We regularly carry stories of children who trespass on the track, either to make mischief or to prove something to their peers. Sometimes one is killed or seriously injured. This new police squad will hopefully cut that toll as well as reducing crime.