NEWPORT Transport is to invest nearly £1 million in new hi-tech buses which will help crack down on rowdy school- children.

Over the past year the bus company has spent £150,000 replacing broken windows and has been affected by incidents of vandalism and behavioural problems.

In March a teenager from St Joseph's needed hospital treatment after falling from a window on the upper deck of a Newport bus.

But now the city's ageing double-decker fleet, which are currently used for school services, are set to be replaced with the new S-Kool buses.

A pilot scheme using one of the buses involving pupils from Duffryn High School has been such a success that transport chief Trevor Roberts revealed the company is to buy another six of the buses.

The new buses have CCTV, safety belts and dedicated seats for each pupil. Safety campaigners have hailed them as some of the safest in the country. Mr Roberts, Newport Transport's managing director, said: "We have been encouraged by the success of the first one.

"It was always something we had in mind. It seemed to have gone down so well with everyone that we are prepared to take this gamble. "And we have written to all the schools telling them that the buses will be available for things like school outings."

It is intended they will replace double decker buses on all school runs by the end of the year.

School transport safety campaigners BUSK have worked with Newport Transport over the specifications of the new bus.

Pat Harris from BUSK described the move as a "significant step forward". She said: "Newport Transport is a forward thinking and safety conscious operator and we are delighted to be working in partnership with them."