'Crime figures aren't reliable,' says ex-deputy assistant Met commisioner Brian Paddick

Brian Paddick, an ex-deputy assistant commissioner at the Met and now Liberal Democrat candidate in the race to become London's mayor, said the statistics issued by Scotland Yard should not always be trusted.

He stopped short of suggesting the figures were being fiddled - instead highlighting big differences between the two different systems used to record crime.

But his remarks are a blow to Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and the Home Office, which has been accused of attempting to spin official figures in the past.

Mr Paddick, who is up against Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson in the mayoral race, was asked by Time Out magazine: "One of your main promises is to reduce crime by 20 per cent by the end of your term?"

He replied: "According to Met Police figures, Ken has cut crime by 17 per cent over four years.

"But when you look at the British Crime Survey, it shows that in the past 12 months crime hasn't gone down. There is less confidence in the police and less reporting of crime."

The interviewer then asks: "You're saying the Met figures can't be trusted - despite the fact they come from an organisation you were part of for many years?

Mr Paddick replied: "It's because they come from an organisation that I was part of for 30 years that I can say with confidence they are not reliable."

Recorded crime figures include only offences reported by the public.

The British Crime Survey randomly interviews 40,000 households and includes all offences, whether logged by police or not.

Scotland Yard said it published the most reliable figures available.