By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 06:09 EST, 15 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:17 EST, 15 March 2013 . The force investigating the alleged murder of a teenage girl on a bus a week ago have been called 'insensitive' today after boasting that crime on public transport is down. West Midlands Police has been forced to apologise for their tweet on the same day the 22-year-old man accused of stabbing 16-year-old Christina Edkins to death on a rush hour service appeared in court. Phillip Simelane spoke only to confirm his name . during a 10-minute hearing at Birmingham Crown Court this morning before being remanded in custody on a murder charge. But only hours earlier West Midlands Police boasted on its . official Twitter account that bus crime in the area had dropped, horrifying local people upset about Christina's death. Mistake: A West Midlands Police tweet boasting that bus crime in the area had fallen just one week after Christina Edkins was stabbed to death on a rush hour service . Tragic: Christina Edkins, 16, was in her school . uniform on the top deck of the bus in Birmingham city centre when she . was stabbed in the chest, allegedly by Phillip Simelane, 22 . Suspect: Detectives released this image of the man who they claimed was their prime suspect . The offending post on the '@WMPolice' feed read: "Crime on buses has fallen by 65 per cent over the last five . years with an average of one crime per 147,000 journeys." But within minutes, Jayne Childs replied: 'Tell that to the parents of the girl murdered on the No. 9 bus in Birmingham.' Claire Lycett tweeted: 'I don't think people want to be hearing about the lack of bus crimes so soon after that poor girl!' Another added: 'Not the best tweet 1 week after what happened, it may be down but its ferocity is escalating,' and 'Bit insensitive following the recent event.' Apolice spokesman has apologised for the tweet and blamed a computer error for the mistake. 'Apologies if this tweet caused any offence, it was pre-scheduled,' he said, adding: 'We don't want to offend anyone after last week's tragic events.' Complaints: Following the tweet many people responded to express their disappointment at the official message . Accused Phillip Simelane, . from Walsall, was remanded into the custody of a secure mental health . unit and will next appear at the same court for a plea hearing on May . 31. Christina, a pupil at Leasowes High . School in Halesowen, died after suffering a stab wound to the chest on . the top deck of a bus in Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Thursday . March 7. West Midlands Police were given authority to charge Simelane by the Crown Prosecution Service on Tuesday. But . he was not formally charged with murder until 9am today, an hour before . he appeared before The Recorder of Birmingham, Judge William Davis QC. Rush-hour horror: Police and paramedics at the scene in Hagley Road, Birmingham, where the schoolgirl was stabbed to death on a bus . Simelane, wearing a blue, white and . grey hooded training top, remained impassive throughout today's hearing . after being asked to confirm his name by the court clerk. A . dock officer and four police officers stood near the defendant as . prosecutor Hayley Firman discussed the timetable in the case with the . judge and defence barrister Regan Peggs. No . members of Christina's family were present in court during the short . hearing, which was attended by several police officers working on the . inquiry. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
Phillip Simelane is accused of killing schoolgirl Christina Edkins on March 7 .
22-year-old remanded in custody at Birmingham Crown Court today .
Hours earlier West Midlands Police tweet about bus crime falling .
People call force 'insensitive', who then apologised for any offence caused .
By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 06:09 EST, 15 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:17 EST, 15 March 2013 . The force investigating the alleged murder of a teenage girl on a bus a week ago have been called 'insensitive' today after boasting that crime on public transport is down. West Midlands Police has been forced to apologise for their tweet on the same day the 22-year-old man accused of stabbing 16-year-old Christina Edkins to death on a rush hour service appeared in court. Phillip Simelane spoke only to confirm his name . during a 10-minute hearing at Birmingham Crown Court this morning before being remanded in custody on a murder charge. But only hours earlier West Midlands Police boasted on its . official Twitter account that bus crime in the area had dropped, horrifying local people upset about Christina's death. Mistake: A West Midlands Police tweet boasting that bus crime in the area had fallen just one week after Christina Edkins was stabbed to death on a rush hour service . Tragic: Christina Edkins, 16, was in her school . uniform on the top deck of the bus in Birmingham city centre when she . was stabbed in the chest, allegedly by Phillip Simelane, 22 . Suspect: Detectives released this image of the man who they claimed was their prime suspect . The offending post on the '@WMPolice' feed read: "Crime on buses has fallen by 65 per cent over the last five . years with an average of one crime per 147,000 journeys." But within minutes, Jayne Childs replied: 'Tell that to the parents of the girl murdered on the No. 9 bus in Birmingham.' Claire Lycett tweeted: 'I don't think people want to be hearing about the lack of bus crimes so soon after that poor girl!' Another added: 'Not the best tweet 1 week after what happened, it may be down but its ferocity is escalating,' and 'Bit insensitive following the recent event.' Apolice spokesman has apologised for the tweet and blamed a computer error for the mistake. 'Apologies if this tweet caused any offence, it was pre-scheduled,' he said, adding: 'We don't want to offend anyone after last week's tragic events.' Complaints: Following the tweet many people responded to express their disappointment at the official message . Accused Phillip Simelane, . from Walsall, was remanded into the custody of a secure mental health . unit and will next appear at the same court for a plea hearing on May . 31. Christina, a pupil at Leasowes High . School in Halesowen, died after suffering a stab wound to the chest on . the top deck of a bus in Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Thursday . March 7. West Midlands Police were given authority to charge Simelane by the Crown Prosecution Service on Tuesday. But . he was not formally charged with murder until 9am today, an hour before . he appeared before The Recorder of Birmingham, Judge William Davis QC. Rush-hour horror: Police and paramedics at the scene in Hagley Road, Birmingham, where the schoolgirl was stabbed to death on a bus . Simelane, wearing a blue, white and . grey hooded training top, remained impassive throughout today's hearing . after being asked to confirm his name by the court clerk. A . dock officer and four police officers stood near the defendant as . prosecutor Hayley Firman discussed the timetable in the case with the . judge and defence barrister Regan Peggs. No . members of Christina's family were present in court during the short . hearing, which was attended by several police officers working on the . inquiry. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
of stabbing 16-year-old Christina Edkins to death a 10-minute hearing at Birmingham Crown Court this morning before being remanded in custody on death. Mistake: A West Midlands Police tweet Phillip Simelane, . from Walsall, was remanded Birmingham, on Thursday . March 7. West Midlands schoolgirl was stabbed to death on a bus .