This has caused Frank Efferington, The Chief executive of London buses to take on the advice of pressure group, People of London’s Otter Problem, (PLOP) and announce a new £87bn ten year plan to reduce the number of otter-related deaths.

The joint backstroke has proven a popular alternative for otters who don't like public transport.

‘The number of otters now causing problems on our buses has reached an all-time high and this needs to be stopped.’

‘Commuters are physically petrified of using our buses and all because of this docile aquatic mammal.’ Said Etherington in his three hour speech outside the London bus headquarters in central London today.

In his speech he outlined in elaborate detail the 67 point plan which included the development of a new otter patrol and gave police important new powers to cease the current trend of illegal otter smuggling.

The policy will be instigated by the end of the month.

He stressed ‘this policy needs to be implemented before the start of the new breeding season which begins in the new month otherwise the problem will only get worse.’

The epidemic proportions of the problem began very unexpectedly in 2000 when London Transport moved their main bus garage to a 200 acre site in Beddington, Greater London.

The site was originally an RSPCA sponsored otter sanctuary, however at the behest of the then London Bus Chief Executive Gary Button, the site was cleared of any otter paraphernalia and concreted over to make way for the new space age bus garage which includes a specialist bus washing team shipped over from Somalia, renowned for their bus washing abilities and a multi purpose gym for the bus drivers who became increasing concerned at the lack of health and well-being facilities at their old garage back in Kennington.

The remaining otters were reportedly sent to a new sanctuary off the coast of Polegate, east Sussex in specially adapted burlap sacks.

‘They’re heavier than normal sacks,’ said one happy transporter, ‘due to the bricks we place in the sacks for the otters to play with to make sure they remain content during their long journey.’

The concrete used at the new garage was also chosen for its otter repellent properties as the otter’s natural homing ability would lead it to return in later years and put them in great danger from the moving buses.

However the otters became strangely attracted back to the site as the females found they could lay their eggs in the tyres of the buses providing a warm, oxygen rich environment for their offspring to develop in.

At the time, experts warned of this practise however LT officials denied the claim as a threat as many animal in the past have used the buses as breeding grounds with no adverse consequences.

However the otters seemed to thrive on the oxygen rich environment and began to grow unexpectedly larger than usual.

At first they seemed content with living inside the tyres due to its warmth and the exercise gained however soon the exercise and their excessive size made their living there uncomfortable.

They soon began to start chewing through the tyres in a bid for freedom which causes the tyre to blow-out causing untold accidents including the notorious Baker Street crash of 2004 when an albino family were crushed after an otter blow-out caused the 94 bus to upturn and land on them.

The youngest of the family was saved after a quick thinking dachshund knocked his pram out of the buses path.

Etherington referred to this incident as the pinnacle of otter madness and vowed that ‘similar scenes will never occur again on London’s streets.’