Expect chaos, Tube bosses warn shoppers

Services on all lines will be drastically reduced with the Circle line closed, said Howard Collins, London Underground's chief operating officer.

He accused the Aslef union of "holding Londoners to ransom" as thousands of people heading to the sales, football matches or work would be hit.

High Court judge Mr Justice Eder yesterday gave permission for the union to proceed with the walkout, following an unsuccessful challenge by LU.

Aslef is claiming three days' pay, £365, for Boxing Day duty and a day off in lieu in a long-running row over working on bank holidays.

Three more strikes are planned for January 16, February 3 and 13. Tube bosses are trying to persuade as many drivers as possible to work. Aslef controls more than half the Tube's 3,200 drivers; other drivers belonging to the rival RMT, which is not involved in the dispute, could refuse to cross picket lines.

Engineering work on Boxing Day on the Northern and District lines and the Docklands Light Railway will add to the disruption.

Meanwhile Ken Livingstone was condemned today for taking thousands of pounds in donations from Aslef. Labour's mayoral candidate accepted £5,000 last year and has received tens of thousands in donations from it in the past. Mr Livingstone has repeatedly insisted he is the candidate to help hard-pressed commuters and has pledged to wipe out Boris Johnson's near-six per cent fare rise if he is elected Mayor next year.

Mr Johnson today hit out at the former mayor. A source close to the Mayor said: "You cannot masquerade as the friend of London commuters whilst taking bribes from an outfit that actively sets out to make the lives of Londoners a misery."

A spokesman for Mr Livingstone said: "If he is elected he will return to the sensible days when the Mayor tried to reduce the number of strikes, rather than Boris Johnson's incompetence and failure to get a grip."

LU plans the following services:

Bakerloo: Service only between Queens Park and Paddington

Central: Hainault to Ealing Broadway switching to White City and Leytonstone at 1pm;

Circle: closed;

District: limited service only between Acton Town and Ealing Broadway and between Upminster and West Ham

Hammersmith & City: Hammersmith to King's Cross St Pancras

Jubilee: Stanmore and Finchley Road

Metropolitan: Baker Street and Harrow-on-the Hill

Northern; Morden and Stockwell

Piccadilly: shuttle service between Heathrow 1,2,3 and Acton Town

Victoria: 10 minute service Seven Sisters and Brixton.

DLR will operate except between Bank/Tower Gateway and Poplar/West India Quay due to planned engineering works.