'Truce' declared with Met chief

The new Mayor, who has put tackling crime at the heart of his mayoralty, will instruct the Met Commissioner to start bringing in his plans to tackle youth crime and disorder on the buses.

He wants to deploy an extra 50 British Transport Police and 440 police community support officers, and install knife scanners at Tube stations.

The meeting comes amid reports that Mr Johnson had put Britain's most senior policeman on notice to dramatically cut crime or face the axe.

He was said to have told colleagues he would press Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for Sir Ian's resignation unless the chief officer delivered.

But Tory insiders suggested his words reflected attempts to appear tough rather than a genuine desire for Sir Ian's head.

They claimed the Mayor would be "foolish" to take on a battle to get rid of the Met Commissioner that he was unlikely to win.

An aide to Mr Johnson insisted: "A constructive relationship is being formed." Police insiders close to Sir Ian described their first exchanges as "positive and upbeat."

One source said: "There have been meetings and exchanges over the last few days and they have got on very, very well. There are no plans to get rid of him but Boris has made clear that he expects the Commissioner to deliver.

"A lot of people are now working very hard to ensure this happens. There are meetings and exchanges at the highest level and these will continue this week." Mr Johnson has previously said he would have a "working relationship" with the Met chief only because he did not have the power to dismiss him.

The Commissioner has ordered a review of youth crime policy, which will show how extra resources from the Mayor will be used.

An announcement on the details is expected in the next month.

There were further signs at the weekend that pressure on the Met Commissioner was easing. Richard Barnes - Conservative leader on the London Assembly and one of Sir Ian's strongest critics - was no longer calling for his dismissal.

Last year Mr Barnes, who is on the Metropolitan Police Authority, led attempts to force Sir Ian to resign. But at the weekend he said he believed Sir Ian would see out his term of office until 2010.

"I don't see any point in revisiting old battles. What is important is that we all contribute to help the Met rebuild its confidence," he said.

One member of the police authority added: "Sir Ian is like any professional officer who has got to do what his political masters say. There have been a lot of myths about him being close to Labour, but that's just wrong.

"He used to be angry about constantly being associated with Ken."

Today, parents whose children were murdered by other young people said they would be watching to see that Mr Johnson fulfilled his promises.

Vanessa Hyman, 41, whose 17-year-old son Anton was killed by a gang in Greenford in 2004, said: "I hope Boris means what he says about tackling youth crime because the future of our children, and of London, is at stake."

Ms Hyman said the new Mayor should pump money into more youth centres and better education in schools about the dangers of guns and knives.

"Just like we teach schoolchildren about sex and drugs, teachers should be talking to them about how trouble can escalate into a murder when you start carrying weapons," she said.

Jean Ross, 51, whose 22-year-old son Daniel was shot at the Scala nightclub in King's Cross in September 2006, said: " It's absolutely essential that Boris gets to the heart of the gun crime problem.

"Young people in some areas of London feel they have to join a gang to survive on the streets and that's horrific."