Your bus is late? Have a go at the TfL boss on his MySpace website

But we can reveal that the Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, has been spending evenings, weekends - and even part of his working day - in the chatroom with teenagers on the MySpace website.

In a move that will have dramatically raised the average age of the site's users, Mr Hendy, 53, has created his own MySpace page.

Mr Hendy tells site users that his "body type" is "slim/slender," adding that his sexual orientation is "straight" and he is "in a relationship."

Other details, however, are less typical of MySpace fans. The Commissioner gives his income as "£250,000 or higher" and lists his interests as "buses, trains, trams, roads and Any TfL Stuff".

Mr Hendy also posts his official TfL biography together with portraits of himself, the TfL logo and a picture which he has entitled "Me With Some Of the Buses".

TfL confirmed last night that the site was genuine.

"It is not a spoof," a spokesman said. "Any dialogue with Londoners to promote our policies is welcome."

Mr Hendy's site has become something of a cult destination among teenagers attending Bishop Ramsey School in Ruislip, Middlesex.

More than 40 of them have added themselves as "friends" to his page and made ironic comments about the state of the transport network.

"I saw you on the news the other day, making excuses," says one boy. "Naughty naughty."

Another posts: "You are looking buff (good) in dem pics. Every time I get the bus, I think of you. Safe, bruv!" An 18-year-old girl from North Harrow, north west of London, signing herself "7 of Hearts" complains that "it rained on me yesterday while I was waiting for a train...I am appalled."

In another post, "7 of Hearts" also complains that "your underground staff at Eastcote station, Hillingdon, were mean to me...What do you propose to do about it?" Within minutes, Mr Hendy apparently replied: "When I get to work on Monday morning I'll sort this out, I'll either sack them or give them a good spanking (not myself but someone lower down the food chain than me.) All the best, Peter Hendy." TfL insisted last night that although most of the site was real, this exchange with "7 of Hearts" had not been written by Mr Hendy and they would investigate.

Not all of Mr Hendy's correspondents are critical, however.

One 17-year-old, Ian, praises TfL's controversial bendy buses ("woop, peter hendy, love the work u r doing, especially those no.18 buses!")

Mr Hendy has used his website to promote TfL's controversial scheme allowing free bus travel for under-18s.

But London Assembly Tories were today making a fresh bid to scrap the free travel concession, saying it was costly, wasteful and had contributed to a rise in anti-social behaviour on the buses.