Boris backs Cameron on crime despite all his 'piffle'

Boris Johnson moved to mend fences with David Cameron today after Labour seized on his criticism of the Tory leader's "broken society" message.

The Mayor of London yesterday ridiculed the Tory leader's description of social breakdown across Britain as "piffle", claiming Britain's Olympic success had disproved the theory that children were feckless and morally bankrupt.

But today, as Labour planned to use his remarks to strike at the Tories, Mr Johnson changed tack.

He praised Mr Cameron's plans to tackle teenage violence and social breakdown, saying there was no room for complacency about rising knife and gun crime.

But the Mayor refused to change his central criticism of the phrase "broken society".

A spokesman for the Mayor said Mr Johnson was proud of the qualities displayed by Britain's Olympic athletes.

"These are the qualities he is keen to encourage in teenagers across London, where a lack of purpose, discipline and selfesteem lead many to wasted lives and violence. David Cameron is right to highlight that serious and destructive social breakdown."