Ken backs 24-hour policing in crime hotspots

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The Mayor said he was interested in expanding a scheme which resulted in sharp falls in burglaries and robberies.

A six-month pilot in Hammersmith and Fulham has also seen big increases in arrests of drug pushers and the closure of crack houses.

The borough replaced one-shift neighbourhood policing - where officers worked an eight-hour, five-day week - with 24-hour cover in two problem areas.

Mr Livingstone suggested to London Assembly members that he would encourage other boroughs bringing in a similar schemes. "There's a limited number of sites in London, mainly suburban and town centres where that is necessary," he said. "We're keen to work with boroughs to roll that out for those areas."

However, the Mayor said that in some quieter suburbs round-the-clock policing would be "grossly wasteful".

Tory mayoral candidate Boris Johnson has already said he would consider making 24-hour policing teams a central plank of his campaign.

Councillor Greg Smith, Hammersmith and Fulham cabinet member for crime, said: "I'm pleased that other politicians - not just Ken Livingstone - and other boroughs are looking at this. We set out to prove that this model works better than the single-shift system."

The borough introduced trial 24-hour community police teams in Shepherd's Bush Green and Fulham Broadway in April. They will remain for two years with the council and local businesses footing the £4 million bill. The project expands normal six-strong safer neighbourhood teams to 31 officers and police community support officers.

Lib Dem mayoral candidate Brian Paddick, a former Met deputy assistant commissioner, says the scheme risks letting wealthy areas pay for extra policing at the expense of others.