Mozart moves loitering teens

Classical music is being piped through speakers at Burswood train station late at night to deter loitering teenagers.

The music-soothes-the-savage-beast approach has been used at other metropolitan stations,including Joondalup and the city, with some success.

A Public Transport Authority spokesman said the music was being played at Burswood as part of a trial to improve passenger amenity and prevent loitering around the station.

“We rotate the music around different stations on our network,” he said. “The music itself is chosen at random by our staff and set to a timer to play at different times.”

Using classical music to disperse loitering youths has been tried and proved all over the world.

In 2003, Elm Park — where a gang problem meant train drivers were too scared to stop — became the first London tube station to try the classical music approach.

Within 18 months, robberies fell 33 per cent, assaults on staff 25 per cent and vandalism 37 per cent.

More than 30 stations now play the music.

Theories vary as to why it works. But perhaps the most plausible is that classical music is considered uncool.