'Green' Mayor slashes environment budget

BORIS Johnson's attempts to cast himself as a "green" mayor hit a stumbling block today after it emerged he had cut almost £500,000 from the environment budget.

The Mayor set out his plans to make London the eco-capital of the world yesterday by reducing carbon emissions and tapping into the new energy economy. However, on the same day he announced a 10 per cent staff cut in his green team and scrapped his £140,000 environment programme and the £87,000 London Schools awards. Labour environment spokesman Murad Qureshi said: "Boris's anti-climate change views are well known; it wasn't so long ago he was siding with George W Bush on Kyoto and likening belief in climate change to a stone-age religion. His actions in office suggest he hasn't changed his mind."

A spokeswoman for the Mayor said the move had been ordered as part of an efficiency drive across City Hall.

She added: "The Mayor is committed to investing at least £100million on environment and climate change programmes over the next four years." Mr Johnson has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 60per cent by 2025.