World Cup bidder apologises for claiming London is full of crime

Alexei Sorokin, chief executive of the Russian campaign team, was forced on the defensive after he said London was plagued with record levels of crime and youth binge-drinking.

His humiliating U-turn came after aides of the London Mayor this morning contacted Sorokin's office to demand an explanation for the outburst.

Mr Johnson immediately refuted the claims, writing on Twitter: "Can't believe Russian slurs over 2018 bid. Pls tell them crime is down & London's the most tolerant city in the world."

A spokesman for Sorokin said the comments reported in the Russian paper Sport Express were mistranslated and taken out of context.

The spokesman said: "Mr Sorokin regrets if his statements have led to such an erroneous interpretation and understanding."

He said the bid leader was responding to questions about how the international media was reporting rival bids and wanted to highlight his claim that the Russian press was more restrained.

He said: "[Sorokin] was using a metaphor in the sense that such mutual highlighting of negative aspects was comparable to bickering housewives in the communal wash house, raising a fuss over everything and speaking badly about each other."

Sport Express initially reported Sorokin as saying: "We do not enter into squabbles, although we have much to say. It's no secret, for example, that in London they have the highest crime rate compared with other European cities, and the highest level of alcohol consumption among young people."

Sorokin's comments could land him in trouble with FIFA, whose strict rules prohibit comments about rival bidders.

However, he may escape sanction as FIFA's ethics committee are having to deal with the fall-out from the weekend's bribery expose.

The sport's world governing body announced last night that they have widened the scope of their investigation to probe suggestions that at least two countries bidding for the two World Cups cut a deal over votes.

The 24-man FIFA executive are due to decide on 2 December where the 2018 and 2022 tournaments will be held. That vote may still be delayed now that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Nigeria's Amos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, who were exposed by a Sunday Times investigation as having asked undercover reporters for cash in return for their World Cup votes.

The pair will be dealt with by the ethics committee tomorrow and the same body will investigate whether at least two countries campaigning to host the 2018 and/or 2022 tournaments breached bidding rules.

Both men and the countries involved could be suspended. England are bidding for 2018 against Russia, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium while the 2022 tournament hosts will be from Australia, United States, Qatar, Japan and South Korea.