EVEN BATMAN WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MEET MAYOR'S CRIME TARGET

1.01.37pm GMT Tue 20th Jan 2004

Commenting on Mayor Livingstone's new pie in the sky target to cut crime by 50% in the next four years, Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes MP said:-

"Even Batman would struggle to reduce a city's crime rate by the 50% in four years. This unrealistic, unworkable and undeliverable target is simply not worth the paper it is written on.

"Mr Livingstone has failed to make crime a priority in the last three and a half years of office and yet suddenly he can halve it.

"The Mayor will be judged by his deeds not his words. Crime may be beginning to go down but violent crime remains high. Any suggestion that this Mayor's policies can tackle the worst types of crime is ludicrous.

"With just one in eight reported crimes in London being solved, the Mayor must not focus just on crime reduction but also on solving crime and boosting the perception of London as a safe place to live and work."

ENDS