A bus company is threatening to cut some evening services after a spate of violent crimes.

Last night, a man holding a knife tried to rob the driver of Stagecoach Number One service bus outside The Original Swan pub, Between Towns Road Road, Cowley. The driver accelerated and then braked suddenly and the would-be robber fell from the bus.

The attack followed four similar incidents on Stage- coach buses at the weekend. Stagecoach Oxford's managing director Inglis Lyon said: "Our staff are very distressed. If this level of abuse continues, we will seriously consider cutting certain services." New safety measures could be introduced for drivers, including security screens and doubling up staff on the buses.

On Saturday, a CS gas canister was set off in a Number One bus in Cowley Road. Later, in Blackbird Leys, four men, one armed with a ten-inch knife, robbed the driver of another Number One bus.

On Sunday, four men threatened a bus driver in Crowberry Road, Blackbird Leys, and a Stagecoach bus driver was robbed at knife-point at the Banbury Road roundabout.

Witnesses can call Oxford police on 01865 266333.

*Have you had a bus journey from hell? Call our newsdesk on 01865 425500.

Story date: Tuesday 19 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.