'London road deaths up 6%'

The number of people killed in London road crashes has risen more than six per cent in the past year, while the rest of Britain saw a drop in fatalities, a report claims today.

It says the number of people killed on the capital's roads peaked at 284 in the past 12 months.

The number is also higher than the 171 people murdered in the capital in the same period, according to the study by the Green Party.

Jenny Jones, Green member of the Greater London Assembly, said: " London will continue to buck the national trend unless the police and local authorities make it a priority to tame the speed merchants."

The party is campaigning for safer roads in the capital and is urging police to increase the amount of time and money it spends on traffic offences.

It claims that the Metropolitan Police spends the smallest percentage of its budget on traffic offences compared with other regional forces.